O'Rielly Backs Recovery Support After Puerto Rico Governor Says No More 911 Fee Diversion
Commissioner Mike O'Rielly supported an FCC item giving additional USF support to Puerto Rico after receiving assurances from the territory it would end 911 fee diversion, O'Rielly aide Brooke Ericson told us Friday. O'Rielly's backing means a majority supports Chairman…
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Ajit Pai's March draft order and NPRM seeking to provide $256 million in additional USF support and repurpose another $698 million to help restore and upgrade storm-damaged communications networks, with $750 million for Puerto Rico and $204 million for the U.S. Virgin Islands (see 1805030026). O’Rielly last month threatened to withhold additional USF funding for hurricane recovery if the territory kept using the 911 money for unrelated purposes (see 1804240069). Puerto Rico won’t allow any more 911 fee diversion, Gov. Ricardo Rosselló Nevares (New Progressive Party) said in a Wednesday letter to FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly. Puerto Rico, which prepared but failed to send information on time to the FCC about 2016 diversion due to “clerical error,” diverted $243,100 of the 911 revenue, Rosselló said March 7. Wednesday, he said diversion is the fault of Puerto Rico’s previous administration. “To be clear, we will not allow any utilization of 9-1-1 funds for purposes other than those authorized under applicable laws, rules, and regulations. To that effect, we have also initiated steps to submit amendments to the current state law that led to said diversion of funds, and we will be withholding future payments to the Treasury Department.”