The FCC is sending staff to Puerto Rico to aid the island in recovering from Hurricane Fiona. They will perform post-landfall, on-site surveys of communications services and infrastructure as well as help with coordination and oversight of communications restoration. The agency has been coordinating closely with FEMA and other government partners, including officials in Puerto Rico, as well as communications providers in preparation for the storm, now during its impact, and to support restoration.
The FCC is performing a baseline survey of spectrum usage in targeted areas, which will help federal agencies assess the post-landfall impact to broadcasters and public safety communications. It established a website as a centralized location for all FCC information related to Hurricane Fiona, including emergency communications tips in English and Spanish, and communication status reports.
The FCC deactivated its Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) for Hurricane Fiona in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Carriers are still providing information on how the storm has impacted cell sites in Puerto Rico.
Communications providers do not need to provide any additional reporting in DIRS for St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands with respect to Hurricane Fiona. The FCC will, however, continue to monitor the status of communications services and work with providers and government partners in these areas as needed to support remaining restoration efforts.
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