Connect Puerto Rico Releases New Broadband Availability Maps and Data

Universal Service Fund Reform Expected to Have Significant Impact on Broadband Penetration

San Juan, PR – Yesterday, Puerto Rico Chief Information Officer Juan Eugenio Rodriguez de Hostos in a joint presentation with Sandra Torres, President of the Puerto Rico Telecommunications Board, released the latest Connect Puerto Rico broadband availability maps and data at the Puerto Rico Telecom Conference 2011.

Both also offered insights into the right kind of legislative environment for promoting the type of technology modernization necessary for Puerto Rico to realize a vibrant and robust digital future.

New data estimates indicate that 86% of households have broadband available at basic connection speeds (768 kbps download/200 kbps upload speeds). The estimate drops significantly when looking at higher connection speeds necessary to support Internet applications that consumers are increasingly demanding, such as video streaming. An estimated 41% of households across the island have broadband available at speeds of 6 Mbps/768 kbps or higher.

Connect Puerto Rico – October, 2011

These facts were highlighted by Governor Luis G. Fortuño in his October 17, 2011, letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in support of sound reform of the Universal Service Fund (USF), a program that distributes over $8 billion annually across the USA and territories, and approximately $270 million across Puerto Rico.

On October 27, the FCC voted to reform and modernize the USF program. This reform will transition the USF program currently subsidizing voice telephony to a new Connect America Fund that will instead support broadband expansion.

The Connect Puerto Rico broadband inventory map demonstrates that Puerto Rico is lagging behind most areas in high-speed broadband penetration. As a result, the USF reform underway will have a drastic impact across Puerto Rico.

“Puerto Rico has made positive strides to address technology challenges — a prime example being the creation of a Broadband Task Force, composed of individuals representing varied community sectors to inform the development of a Strategic Broadband Plan for Puerto Rico,” said Rodríguez de Hostos.

A coalition of private and public stakeholders including Governor Fortuño’s administration and Representative Pierluisi, as well as private members of the Puerto Rico Broadband Task Force (PRBT) are working collaboratively with the FCC to ensure that the reforms underway will help bridge the broadband gap across the island estimated by Connect Puerto Rico. The PRBT has focused on preparing for the knowledge economy through broadband. The PRBT is developing a strategic broadband plan for sustainable technology expansion in Puerto Rico.

“During 2011, the Puerto Rico Telecommunications Board has allocated approximately $1 million to establish free Public Computing Centers throughout the island, one in each municipality. The establishment of these centers is to reduce the digital divide by making sure all Puerto Rico communities have broadband access. As of today, two centers have been opened, in Moca and Toa Alta, and 4 more are in the final stages,” said Torres.

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Connect Puerto Rico Releases Updated Broadband Mapping Data

San Juan, PR – Connect Puerto Rico released new broadband maps that reveal that 14% of Puerto Rican households don’t have broadband available.

Connect Puerto Rico is commissioned by the Office of the Chief Information Officer of Puerto Rico to gather, process, and verify data on the availability, speed, location, and type of broadband services across the island on a regularly scheduled basis. These data are gathered on behalf of the U.S. Department of Commerce to build and update the National Broadband Map across the US and territories.

Key findings from this update include:

• 86% of Puerto Rico households have access to fixed broadband service of at least 768 Kbps downstream and 200 Kbps upstream (excluding mobile and satellite services).

• 14% of Puerto Rico households remain unserved by any fixed broadband provider, representing approximately 176,000 unserved households that do not have access to a fixed wireless or wired broadband service offering (excluding mobile and satellite service).

• Across rural areas of Puerto Rico, the percentage of unserved households by any fixed broadband service is 21.82%, representing approximately164,000 unserved households across rural Puerto Rico.

These estimates imply that across Puerto Rico, broadband network penetration ranks amongst the lowest across all US states and territories.

Preliminary Connect Puerto Rico metrics of broadband availability across the island estimated in April that 91.82% of households had broadband available at the basic speeds of 768 Kbps download/ 200 Kbps upload speeds. The new, more accurate estimates released today are the result of a year of detailed research conducted by the Connect Puerto Rico mapping team working in collaboration with Puerto Rico broadband providers to determine more accurately the true extent of the available network. Connect Puerto Rico conducts independent, ongoing validation of the broadband service data submitted by the provider community.

The Connect Puerto Rico website is available at http://connectpr.org/(Spanish) and http://en.connectpr.org/ (English).

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Assessment of Internet Resources at Community Anchor Institutions Underway

Schools, libraries, hospitals, and public safety facilities are encouraged to participate in a Connect Puerto Rico survey

San Juan, Puerto Rico — The Puerto Rico Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) and the Puerto Rico Infrastructure Financing Authority (PRIFA) have partnered with Connect Puerto Rico to create a detailed, interactive map of broadband coverage across the island. This map will provide an inventory of broadband capacity across the commonwealth, including at Community Anchor Institutions (CAI). This information is essential for developing strategies aimed at increasing broadband availability and adoption across Puerto Rico.

This initiative recognizes that institutions such as schools, hospitals, libraries, and public safety facilities serve essential and meaningful roles in communities. It is critical that these facilities have access to broadband to better serve those who rely on these community resources. This survey will assist Connect Puerto Rico with determining what type of access and connection speeds are available.

Connect Puerto Rico has developed a convenient and simple online survey to collect this data and encourages the following institutions to visit the website to participate:

• Schools: K-12 schools, including both private and public;
• Libraries: Private and public;
• Medical/Healthcare: Hospitals and emergency care units or clinics;
• Public Safety Facilities: Police (state and local), sheriff offices, fire stations, emergency medical services, 911 centers (if different from police), and correctional institutions;
• Higher-Education: Universities, colleges, and community colleges;
• Other community support – government: Local government offices (town halls, city management departments, other), courthouses (county, state, or federal), district attorney offices, federal facilities.

The survey can be accessed through this link on the Connect Puerto Rico website.

Connect Puerto Rico has partnered with the commonwealth of Puerto Rico to create the first broadband inventory maps and engage in a research project to better understand broadband adoption across the territory.

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