US Virgin Islands Commissioner Clendenin Lauds Pai, Others for Hurricane Relief

U.S. Virgin Islands received "an outpouring" of "significant" support from "the personal efforts of responders who have spent months in relief and recovery efforts," he emailed. "Now in the mitigation phase, the leadership of [FCC] Chairman [Ajit] Pai and his Disaster Team led by Michael Carowitz has enabled a significant opportunity for our critical telecommunications providers to build a more resilient infrastructure." He also cited the "tireless efforts" of Gov. Kenneth Mapp (I) "to articulate the circumstances of our insular Territory" to the federal government. "Together with our congressional Delegate Stacey Plaskett [(D)], a comprehensive framework of assistance is being brought to bear on the myriad challenges to our economy as we seek to emerge stronger from the chaos of the 2017 hurricane season and now prepare for the [imminent] arrival of the 2018 season," he said. Others we queried didn't comment Wednesday. Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón, New Progressive Party, tweeted her thanks Tuesday to the FCC for approving Pai's proposal to target her island with $750 million in assistance. NTIA Administrator David Redl applauded Pai and the FCC in a tweet for providing near-term funding and "establishing long-term funds to rebuild, improve and expand broadband networks on the islands."