Communications Status Report for Areas Impacted by Hurricane Fiona September 19, 2022 The following is a report on the status of communications services in geographic areas impacted by Hurricane Fiona as of September 18, 2022, at 12:00 p.m. EDT.1 This report incorporates network outage data submitted by communications providers to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS). Note that the operational status of communications services during an event may evolve rapidly, and this report represents a snapshot in time. The following counties/municipalities in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are in the current geographic area that is part of DIRS (the “disaster area”) for today’s report. Puerto Rico: Adjuntas, Aguada, Aguadilla, Aguas Buenas, Aibonito, Anasco, Arecibo, Arroyo, Barceloneta, Barranquitas, Bayamon, Cabo Rojo, Caguas, Camuy, Canovanas, Carolina, Catano, Cayey, Ceiba, Ciales, Cidra, Coamo, Comerio, Corozal, Culebra, Dorado, Fajardo, Florida, Guanica, Guayama, Guayanilla, Guaynabo, Gurabo, Hatillo, Hormigueros, Humacao, Isabela, Jayuya, Juana Diaz, Juncos, Lajas, Lares, Las Marias, Las Piedras, Loiza, Luquillo, Manati, Maricao, Maunabo, Mayaguez, Moca, Morovis, Naguabo, Naranjito, Orocovis, Patillas, Penuelas, Ponce, Quebradillas, Rincon, Rio Grande, Sabana Grande, Salinas, San German, San Juan, San Lorenzo, San Sebastian, Santa Isabel, Toa Alta, Toa Baja, Trujillo Alto, Utuado, Vega Alta, Vega Baja, Vieques, Villalba, Yabucoa, and Yauco U.S. Virgin Islands: St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas 911 Services The Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) learns the status of each Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) through the filings of 911 Service Providers in DIRS, reporting to the FCC’s Public Safety Support Center, coordination with state 911 Administrators, and, if necessary, direct contact with individual PSAPs. Puerto Rico: No PSAPs are reported as being affected. U.S. Virgin Islands: No PSAPs are reported as being affected. Wireless Services The following section describes the status of wireless communications services in the disaster area as reported in DIRS. 1 The National Hurricane Center upgraded Tropical Storm Fiona to Hurricane Fiona on September 18, 2022. See National Hurricane Center Advisory – Hurricane Fiona Advisory No. 17, https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2022/al07/al072022.public.017.shtml (Sep 18, 2022) 1 The following table provides cell sites out of service by county. 23.5% of the cell sites in the affected area are out of service. The information shown was provided by communications carriers providing services in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Puerto Rico Cell Cell Sites Cell Cell Cell Sites Cell Sites Sites Up but Affected Sites Sites Percent Out Due Out Due to Out Due On Back- State Counties Served Out Out to Damage Transport to Power up Power PR ADJUNTAS 11 0 0.00% 0 0 0 7 PR AGUADA 18 2 11.10% 0 0 2 6 PR AGUADILLA 47 10 27.70% 1 0 9 17 PR AGUAS BUENAS 20 7 35.00% 2 0 5 9 PR AIBONITO 20 7 35.00% 1 0 6 7 2 PR ANASCO 15 3 20.00% 0 0 3 7 PR ARECIBO 57 17 38.60% 1 0 16 18 PR ARROYO 11 2 18.20% 1 0 1 5 PR BARCELONETA 21 5 28.60% 0 0 5 9 PR BARRANQUITAS 18 5 33.30% 1 0 4 5 PR BAYAMON 158 38 28.50% 1 1 36 36 PR CABO ROJO 45 19 42.20% 1 0 18 16 PR CAGUAS 108 21 22.20% 5 0 16 29 PR CAMUY 15 2 26.70% 0 0 2 5 PR CANOVANAS 24 6 25.00% 0 0 6 7 PR CAROLINA 121 29 24.80% 4 1 24 25 PR CATANO 23 4 21.70% 0 0 4 6 PR CAYEY 40 15 45.00% 1 0 14 12 PR CEIBA 11 2 18.20% 0 0 2 5 PR CIALES 13 3 23.10% 0 0 3 7 PR CIDRA 27 6 22.20% 0 0 6 10 PR COAMO 17 8 52.90% 0 0 8 3 PR COMERIO 13 8 61.50% 1 0 7 5 PR COROZAL 22 7 40.90% 0 0 7 8 PR CULEBRA 7 4 57.10% 0 0 4 0 PR DORADO 34 9 26.50% 1 0 8 14 PR FAJARDO 28 9 39.30% 1 0 8 8 PR FLORIDA 6 0 0.00% 0 0 0 3 PR GUANICA 17 2 17.60% 1 0 1 5 PR GUAYAMA 28 12 42.90% 0 0 12 8 PR GUAYANILLA 8 3 50.00% 0 0 3 4 PR GUAYNABO 84 9 14.30% 2 1 6 18 PR GURABO 31 8 32.30% 0 0 8 12 PR HATILLO 29 6 27.60% 0 0 6 14 PR HORMIGUEROS 8 0 0.00% 0 0 0 3 PR HUMACAO 41 10 26.80% 1 0 9 14 PR ISABELA 28 7 25.00% 0 0 7 14 PR JAYUYA 7 1 14.30% 0 0 1 4 PR JUANA DIAZ 27 7 25.90% 0 0 7 11 PR JUNCOS 22 6 27.30% 0 0 6 9 PR LAJAS 12 5 33.30% 0 1 4 5 PR LARES 19 6 31.60% 2 0 4 8 3 PR LAS MARIAS 11 4 36.40% 0 0 4 4 PR LAS PIEDRAS 15 6 46.70% 2 0 4 5 PR LOIZA 13 7 61.50% 1 0 6 3 PR LUQUILLO 14 6 42.90% 1 0 5 5 PR MANATI 36 9 27.80% 0 0 9 12 PR MARICAO 6 1 16.70% 0 0 1 3 PR MAUNABO 11 1 9.10% 0 0 1 7 PR MAYAGUEZ 65 20 36.90% 4 0 16 21 PR MOCA 22 5 27.30% 1 0 4 10 PR MOROVIS 18 4 44.40% 1 0 3 7 PR NAGUABO 18 4 27.80% 0 0 4 10 PR NARANJITO 23 4 17.40% 0 0 4 11 PR OROCOVIS 15 3 26.70% 0 0 3 8 PR PATILLAS 11 3 27.30% 0 0 3 3 PR PENUELAS 16 2 18.80% 0 0 2 10 PR PONCE 94 31 42.60% 4 0 27 28 PR QUEBRADILLAS 19 4 31.60% 1 0 3 9 PR RINCON 12 3 25.00% 1 0 2 6 PR RIO GRANDE 38 11 34.20% 2 0 9 12 SABANA 10 1 20.00% 0 0 1 5 PR GRANDE PR SALINAS 22 5 36.40% 0 0 5 10 PR SAN GERMAN 27 9 33.30% 2 0 7 9 PR SAN JUAN 347 56 20.20% 3 2 51 42 PR SAN LORENZO 24 7 29.20% 1 0 6 10 PR SAN SEBASTIAN 23 7 34.80% 0 0 7 11 PR SANTA ISABEL 16 4 25.00% 0 0 4 9 PR TOA ALTA 36 10 36.10% 3 0 7 10 PR TOA BAJA 46 16 45.70% 3 0 13 9 PR TRUJILLO ALTO 55 6 10.90% 0 0 6 17 PR UTUADO 24 3 16.70% 1 0 2 8 PR VEGA ALTA 28 4 25.00% 0 0 4 11 PR VEGA BAJA 32 8 25.00% 0 0 8 18 PR VIEQUES 10 5 60.00% 1 0 4 1 PR VILLALBA 13 5 38.50% 0 0 5 5 PR YABUCOA 29 6 24.10% 0 0 6 12 PR YAUCO 21 7 38.10% 2 0 5 5 TOTAL 2,531 617 24.30% 62 6 549 784 4 U.S. Virgin Islands Cell Sites Cell Cell Cell Sites Cell Sites Out Cell Sites Up but On Affected Sites Sites Percent Out Due to Due to Out Due Back-up State Counties Served Out Out Damage Transport to Power Power VI ST. CROIX 36 0 0.0% 0 0 0 10 VI ST. JOHN 10 0 0.0% 0 0 0 0 ST. VI THOMAS 48 0 0.0% 0 0 0 6 TOTAL 94 0 0.0% 0 0 0 16 The number of cell site outages in a specific area does not necessarily correspond to the availability of wireless service to consumers in that area. See Improving the Resiliency of Mobile Wireless Communications Networks, Order, 31 FCC Rcd 13745, para. 10 (2016) (recognizing the difficulties in accurately depicting the ongoing status of a wireless provider’s service during emergencies). Wireless networks are often designed with numerous, overlapping cell sites that provide maximum capacity and continuity of service even when an individual site is inoperable. In addition, wireless providers frequently use temporary facilities, such as cells- on-wheels (also known as COWs), increase power at operational sites, initiate roaming agreements, or take other actions to maintain service to affected consumers during emergencies or other events that result in cell site outages. Cable Systems and Wireline (Combined) Cable and wireline companies reported 767,858 subscribers out of service in the disaster area for Hurricane Fiona; this includes the loss of telephone, television, and/or Internet services. This is up from 122,358 subscribers yesterday.2 Broadcast: Television stations status: • No TV stations are reported as being out of service. FM Radio stations status: • 2 FM stations are reported as being out of service. AM Radio stations status: 2 We note that the September 18 report misstated the number of cable and wireline subscribers out of service as of 11:00 a.m. as 1,028,960. The actual number of subscribers reported as out of service at that time was 122,358. 5 • No AM stations are reported as being out of service. Special Temporary Authority (STA)/Waivers/Extensions The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) may grant Special Temporary Authority (STA) to permit immediate or temporary operation of certain radio facilities during emergencies or other urgent conditions, as well as waivers to support emergency communications and service restoration. For Hurricane Fiona, the FCC has not received any requests for STAs, waivers, or extensions, but continues to assess the situation. 6