For the first time since the Hurricane Maria made landfall, no county in Puerto Rico has greater than 50 percent of its cell sites out of service. Overall, 85.6 percent of the island’s 2,696 cell sites were working as of December 20, the latest information available. And 14.4 percent of the island’s cell sites were out of service, according to the FCC’s Disaster Information Reporting System.
Wireless companies have opened up roaming on the islands so that they, collectively, can serve the maximum population of the islands with the current coverage available. They are coordinating and prioritizing the recovery of cell sites and placement of temporary assets with the other carriers to maximize the coverage for all subscribers, according to the agency.
In Puerto Rico, Satellite Cells on Light Trucks have been deployed in Aguadilla, Arecibo, Cayey, Coamo Sur, Fajardo, Guayama, Manati, Mayaguez Mesa, San German, Vega Baja, and Yauco and Terrestrial Cells on Wheels in Humacao, Quebradillas, Rio Grande, and Utuado.
In the U.S. Virgin Islands overall, 85.6 percent of the 118 cell sites are operational, and 14.4 percent are not; in St. John, 62.5 percent are not working. Both 911 call centers are working. So too, are the St. Croix and St. Thomas call centers in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
December 22, 2017
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