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WRITTEN TESTIMONY OF T-MOBILE — April 8, 2026

Collection
Hearing Records
Sub-shelf
Housing, Transportation, and Telecommunications
Kind
Hearing Record
Entity
Legislature of the Virgin Islands
Date
2026
Type
Block III
Pages
4
Text
Native Text

www.t-mobile.com WRITTEN TESTIMONY OF T-MOBILE BEFORE THE 36TH LEGISLATURE OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS COMMITTEE ON HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION, & TELECOMMUNICATIONS April 8, 2026 Good morning, Mr. Chairman, members of the 36th Legislature’s Committee on Housing, Transportation & Telecommunications, Senators, legislative staff, and members of the public. T-Mobile appreciates the opportunity to appear before this Honorable Committee to provide an update on the status of telecommunications in the U.S. Virgin Islands (“USVI”), as well as to outline the progress achieved since our last appearance and the priorities that continue to guide our operations in the Territory. T-Mobile’s presence in the USVI is grounded in a continued commitment to network investment, operational discipline, and resiliency. As part of a broader national network, our Company’s objective is to deliver consistent and reliable connectivity to Virgin Islands residents, businesses, and public institutions. I. …

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www.t-mobile.com WRITTEN TESTIMONY OF T-MOBILE BEFORE THE 36TH LEGISLATURE OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS COMMITTEE ON HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION, & TELECOMMUNICATIONS April 8, 2026 Good morning, Mr. Chairman, members of the 36th Legislature’s Committee on Housing, Transportation & Telecommunications, Senators, legislative staff, and members of the public. T-Mobile appreciates the opportunity to appear before this Honorable Committee to provide an update on the status of telecommunications in the U.S. Virgin Islands (“USVI”), as well as to outline the progress achieved since our last appearance and the priorities that continue to guide our operations in the Territory. T-Mobile’s presence in the USVI is grounded in a continued commitment to network investment, operational discipline, and resiliency. As part of a broader national network, our Company’s objective is to deliver consistent and reliable connectivity to Virgin Islands residents, businesses, and public institutions. I. Network Investment and Infrastructure Development T-Mobile continues to deploy private capital to expand and strengthen its wireless network footprint throughout the Territory. These investments are directed toward expanding coverage, increasing network capacity, and reinforcing resiliency, taking into account the operational complexities of a multi-island environment and the logistical considerations associated with serving geographically distributed communities. Over the past year, T-Mobile has continued to optimize and integrate previously deployed infrastructure, including across St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John, with a focus on strengthening network performance and improving consistency of service. Network development in the U.S. Virgin Islands reflects a continued progression following the Company’s integration in the Territory and remain part of a multi-year investment strategy. This includes ongoing upgrades, sector expansions, and the development of additional sites, with continued progress expected through 2026 and into 2027, subject to standard permitting, infrastructure readiness, and operational dependencies. In parallel, T-Mobile continues to advance infrastructure hardening initiatives, including enhancements to battery backup systems and site readiness, to support continuity of service during power disruptions and other events. These efforts underscore the operational importance of maintaining reliable communications, particularly in emergency and public safety contexts. www.t-mobile.com II. Operational Environment and Interagency Coordination Network deployment in the Territory is carried out within a multi-stakeholders operating environment requiring coordination across permitting processes, infrastructure readiness, logistics, backhaul availability, and utility integration. These elements are actively managed as part of the Company’s ongoing deployment strategy. T-Mobile has experienced constructive engagement with government agencies; however, deployment timelines may at times be influenced by sequencing considerations across permitting, environmental and land use approvals, and dependencies on third-party infrastructure providers and utilities. The Company remains committed to continued collaboration with government partners and industry stakeholders. In this context, processes that support visibility, alignment, and clarity around timelines, including existing or evolving service level expectations, can contribute to more predictable and efficient infrastructure deployment. III. Federal Broadband Funding and BEAD Program T-Mobile remains attentive to ongoing discussions involving the U.S. Virgin Islands Office of Management and Budget and other stakeholders regarding opportunities under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (“BEAD”) Program, particularly as they relate to connectivity, resiliency, and emergency preparedness in the Territory. As previously discussed, we understand that under the Territory’s current BEAD implementation framework, deployment activities focused on mobile wireless infrastructure have not been included as eligible uses, consistent with a fiber-prioritized strategy developed in coordination with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (“NTIA”) and the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”). T-Mobile continues to invest private capital to support wireless network expansion and performance across the USVI. At the same time, federal policy discussions around BEAD continue to develop, including NTIA stakeholder engagement and public listening sessions focused on the permissible use of non- deployment funds. These discussions have increasingly emphasized infrastructure resilience, public safety, and continuity of communications. In that context, stakeholders across the telecommunications ecosystem underscored the critical role that mobile networks play in emergency response and disaster recovery—particularly in geographically vulnerable areas such as the USVI. Investments in resilient mobile infrastructure, including redundant backhaul, hardened sites, and backup power, directly support the reliability and continuity objectives that BEAD is intended to advance. www.t-mobile.com Consistent with this direction, T-Mobile believes there may be opportunities, as additional guidance develops, to align certain categories of investment in the USVI with allowable uses of BEAD funding, particularly where such investments support mobile connectivity, network resilience and emergency preparedness in the USVI. Accordingly, T-Mobile respectfully encourages continued coordination between federal and territorial stakeholders to evaluate how BEAD funding, particularly non-deployment funding categories, may support public interest objectives such as: • Enhancing network resilience and hardening through backup power, site hardening, and redundancy; • Improving reliability through diverse and redundant backhaul solutions; • Expanding coverage and capacity in critical or high-density areas through Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) and similar technologies; • Strengthening emergency communications capabilities and disaster response readiness. T-Mobile remains committed to working collaboratively with the USVI Broadband Office, OMB, NTIA, and other stakeholders to explore these opportunities in a manner that is consistent with federal guidelines and responsive to the unique needs of the Territory. In the meantime, T-Mobile will continue to invest private capital in the USVI to advance mobile connectivity, strengthen network resilience, and support the long-term communications needs of the community. IV. Customer Experience and Service Performance T-Mobile continues to advance its customer experience in the U.S. Virgin Islands through operational improvements and service alignment. Over the past year, customer support functions were transitioned from a third-party vendor to T-Mobile’s internal Customer Experience Center, resulting in improved service consistency and responsiveness. Operational indicators in the Territory reflect a stable service environment, with relatively low customer contact volumes and limited escalation rates. Customer interactions are primarily associated with routine inquiries, while issues related to coverage or account management represent a smaller share of overall activity. At the same time, digital engagement continues to increase, reflecting greater adoption of web and mobile service channels. Retail locations in St. Thomas and St. Croix remain an integral component of customer interaction, supporting a balanced, multi-channel service model. These combined efforts contribute to a stable operating environment and reflect continued progress across network performance, customer care, and service delivery in the Territory. www.t-mobile.com V. Workforce, Community Engagement, and Local Commitment T-Mobile maintains and ongoing commitment to its presence in the U.S. Virgin Islands through local employment, workforce development, and community engagement. Through its retail operations and local teams, the Company maintains direct engagement with the community, supporting both customer needs and day-to-day operations in the Territory. T-Mobile also recognizes the importance of contributing to broader efforts that support community resilience and economic participation. These efforts reflect a long-term commitment to the Territory and its continued development. VI. Emergency Preparedness and Network Resiliency Given the Territory’s exposure to severe weather events, T-Mobile prioritizes emergency preparedness and network resiliency as core components of its operational strategy. The Company maintains a layered resiliency framework that includes hardened infrastructure, enhanced battery backup systems, and contingency planning to support continuity of service during power disruptions and other adverse conditions. These efforts are supported by ongoing investments in site readiness and operational processes that enable timely response and recovery. T-Mobile also coordinates, as appropriate, with infrastructure partners, utilities, and relevant stakeholders to support restoration efforts. Established response protocols allow for the assessment of impacts, prioritization of critical sites, and efficient implementation of restoration measures. These efforts reflect the importance of maintaining reliable communications in support of emergency response, public safety, and overall system continuity. VII. Conclusion T-Mobile remains committed to its continued investment in the U.S. Virgin Islands and to the ongoing development of reliable and resilient telecommunications infrastructure across the Territory. The Company appreciates the opportunity to provide this update and values its continued engagement with the Committee and other stakeholders on matters impacting telecommunications in the Territory. Thank you for your consideration. We are, as usual, available to address any questions the Committee may have.