GOVERNMENT OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS

OF THE

UNITED STATES



PUBLIC SERVICES COMMISSION



IN RE: Docket No. 556

Order No. 29/2019

THE VIRGIN ISLANDS TELEPHONE CORPORATION’S

PETITION FOR RECERTIFICATION



OF THE UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND



a a a a



ORDER



WHEREAS, on September 25, 2018, the Virgin Islands Telephone Corporation d/b/a

Viya (hereinafter “VITELCO” or “Viya”) filed a request with the Virgin Islands Public Services

Commission (hereinafter, “PSC” or the “Commission” for recertification of its Universal

Service Fund (hereinafter, “USF”) eligibility pursuant to section 54.314 (a) of the Federal

Communications Commission (hereinafter “FCC”) rules; and



WHEREAS, in PSC Order No. 17/2019 the Commission ordered that:



1. The Technical Consultants’ report is adopted.



2. By December 1, 2018, VITELCO file an updated Five-Year Plan on the assumption

that USF funding at approximately the same level as before the hurricanes will be

available for the next five years.



3. VITELCO’s request for recertification of its USF eligibility in the United States

Virgin Islands is APPROVED; and



WHEREAS, on December 18, 2018, the Commission met in regular session, the

commission discussed VITELCO’s failure to submit its Universal Fund Five-Year Plan and the

granted VITELCO an extension until January 15, 2019, to submit its Five-Year Plan; and



WHEREAS, on January 15, 2019, VITELCO filed a confidential and redacted petition

with the Commission seeking confidential treatment of certain information contained in the

interim update to USF Five-Year Plan; and



WHEREAS, on January 16, 2019, VITELCO filed an update to its petition for

confidential treatment of its Interim Update Universal Fund Five-Year Plan, a confidential and

redacted version was submitted; and