COMMITTEE REPORT May 14, 2025 — Housing, Transportation, and Telecommunications
Phone (340) 693-3567 Email: MBlyden@Legvi.org ~ YOUR CHOICE FOR SOLUTIONS ~ Committee Report Committee on Housing, Transportation, & Telecommunications The Committee on Housing, Transportation & Telecommunications convened on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at 9:21 a.m. in the Earle B. Ottley Legislative Chambers on St. Thomas to receive testimony from all the telecommunications servicers in the territory. Testifiers included Liberty USVI, T-Mobile, Viya now called One Communications, and the Virgin Islands Next Generation Network. Additional agencies that were invited consisted of the Department of Public Works, the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Bureau of Information Technology. Also, Bill No. 36-0022 was heard and held in the second block. An Act amending title 28 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 31, subchapter I, section 752 relating to notice for the termination of month-to-month residential tenancies and adding section 752 (b) requiring fair notice for rent increases for residential tenancies. …
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Phone (340) 693-3567 Email: MBlyden@Legvi.org ~ YOUR CHOICE FOR SOLUTIONS ~ Committee Report Committee on Housing, Transportation, & Telecommunications The Committee on Housing, Transportation & Telecommunications convened on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at 9:21 a.m. in the Earle B. Ottley Legislative Chambers on St. Thomas to receive testimony from all the telecommunications servicers in the territory. Testifiers included Liberty USVI, T-Mobile, Viya now called One Communications, and the Virgin Islands Next Generation Network. Additional agencies that were invited consisted of the Department of Public Works, the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Bureau of Information Technology. Also, Bill No. 36-0022 was heard and held in the second block. An Act amending title 28 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 31, subchapter I, section 752 relating to notice for the termination of month-to-month residential tenancies and adding section 752 (b) requiring fair notice for rent increases for residential tenancies. Discussion topics included: • Status of present infrastructure projects and plans for future development, with a focus on planning and utilization of federal broadband funding. • Issues and challenges regarding coordination between telecommunications providers and government agencies on issues such as permitting, access to poles and conduits, etc. • Issues and challenges between telecommunications providers as it relate to the portability of telephone numbers. • Status of the BEAD Program-related broadband expansion, equity and access projects. • The session also included a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats) amid significant changes in federal policy and funding priorities. The Honorable Marvin A. Blyden Senator Legislature of the Virgin Islands CAPITOL BUILDING, P.O. BOX 1690 ST. THOMAS, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS 00804 (340) 774-0880 CHAIRMAN Housing, Transportation & Telecommunications VICE CHAIR Budget, Appropriations & Finance MEMBER Economic Development & Agriculture Culture, Youth, Aging & Parks Health, Hospitals, & Human Services May 23, 2025 Phone (340) 693-3567 Fax (340) 693-3636 Courriel SenatorBlyden@Gmail.com ~ YOUR CHOICE FOR SOLUTIONS ~ Legislative Attendance Committee Members Present Non-Committee Members Present Senator Marvin A. Blyden, Chair Senator Novelle E. Francis Senator Clifford A. Joseph, Sr. Senator Ray Fonseca Senator Dwayne M. DeGraff Senator Marise C. James Senator Carla Joseph Senator Kurt A. Vialet Invited Testifiers Derek Gabriel, Commissioner, Department of Public Works Ravindra Maywahlall, General Manager, Liberty, USVI Karl Knight, Chief Executive Officer, Virgin Islands Water & Power Authority Attorney Ileann Canellas, Managing Corporate Counsel, T-Mobile, Puerto Rico Stephan Adams, Chief Executive Officer, Virgin Islands Next Generation Network Siobhan James-Alexander, Chief Executive Officer, Viya now One Communications Julio Rhymer, Director, Office of Management and Budget Rupert Ross, Director, Bureau of Information Technology Dwayne Alexander, Executive Director, Virgin Islands Housing Authority Troy Schuster, State Director, AAPR, American Association of Retired Persons – VI May 23, 2025 Phone (340) 693-3567 Fax (340) 693-3636 Courriel SenatorBlyden@Gmail.com ~ YOUR CHOICE FOR SOLUTIONS ~ Dan Derima, Executive Director, Meeting the Needs of the Community Dr. Suzanne Darrow-Magras, Board Secretary, Virgin Islands Continuum of Care Andrea Shillingford, Executive Director, Catholic Charities of the Virgin Islands Liberty USVI’s Ravindra Maywahlall, General Manager was unable to attend the hearing due to the passing of his mother the day before the hearing. The Committee on Housing, Transportation & Telecommunications adjourned at 3:54 p.m. Prepared by: _______________________________ Vanessa Ortiz Williams Chief Legislative Researcher