Task Force
The FCC has established a Hurricane Recovery Task Force to continue the Commission’s work on restoring communications services in areas hit by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, with a special focus on devastated PUERTO RICO and the U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS. Special Counsel MICHAEL CAROWITZ will chair the panel, with members from several FCC offices and bureaus involved.
“As we shift from short-term incident management to a longer-term recovery phase, it makes sense to adjust the structure of the FCC’s response. In the weeks and months to come, the Commission will be confronting a wide range of storm-related issues that fall within the jurisdiction of numerous bureaus and offices,” said Chairman AJIT PAI. “It is critical that we adopt a coordinated and comprehensive approach to support the rebuilding of communications infrastructure and restoration of communications services. The Hurricane Recovery Task Force will allow us to do just that.”
Commissioner JESSICA ROSENWORCEL, who has been critical of the Commission’s response to the hurricane emergencies, said, “I welcome the news that the Commission is forming a Hurricane Recovery Task Force. I appreciate that the Chairman has listened to my recommendations and decided to put in place a broader effort to review the scale and scope of the damage done to essential communications infrastructure this hurricane season. We need to understand what went wrong, what went right, and how we can be better prepared in the future. I look forward to the report that results from this effort and sincerely hope it includes on the ground research and Commission hearings.”
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