§  54.1509   Uniendo a Puerto Rico Fund and the Connect USVI Fund—Stage 2 for
mobile service.

   (a) Term of support. Uniendo a Puerto Rico Fund or the Connect USVI
   Fund Stage 2 mobile support shall be provided to eligible mobile
   carriers that elect to make a commitment to its eligible service area
   for a three-year term to begin on a date determined by the Wireline
   Competition Bureau.

   (b) Election of support. Eligible mobile carriers as provided in
   § 54.1510 shall have a one-time option to elect to participate in Stage
   2 of the mobile Uniendo a Puerto Rico Fund and the mobile Connect USVI
   Fund for the eligible service area. An eligible mobile carrier may
   elect to receive all or a subset of the Stage 2 support for which it is
   eligible. FCC will publish the order adopting Stage 2 of the Uniendo a
   Puerto Rico Fund and the Connect USVI Fund in the Federal Register. To
   participate, an eligible provider must submit an election to
   participate within 30 days following that publication. Each provider
   must provide to the Commission through the Commission's Electronic
   Comment Filing System as well as by emailing a copy to
   ConnectAmerica@fcc.gov either a renewal of its Stage 1 certification
   specifying the number of subscribers (voice or broadband internet
   access service) it served in the territory as of June 30, 2017; or a
   new certification specifying the number of subscribers (voice or
   broadband internet access service) it served in the territory as of
   June 30, 2017, along with accompanying evidence. Each provider will
   make two simultaneous elections. First, each provider may elect to
   receive Stage 2 support for which it is eligible to restore, harden,
   and expand networks capable of providing 4G LTE or better services.
   Second, each provider may elect to receive Stage 2 support for which it
   is eligible to deploy networks capable of providing 5G service.

   (c) Support amounts. A carrier exercising the election of support
   specified in paragraph (b) of this section shall receive a pro rata
   share of the available mobile support based on the number of
   subscribers reported in its June 2017 FCC Form 477. Each carrier may
   receive up to 75% of its eligible pro rata support amount to restore,
   harden, and expand networks capable of provider 4G LTE or better
   services meeting the minimum service requirements provided in
   § 54.1514(b). Each carrier may also elect to receive up to 25% of its
   eligible pro rata support amount to deploy networks capable of
   providing 5G service.

   (d) Support payments. Each eligible mobile provider that elects to
   participate in Stage 2 of the Uniendo a Puerto Rico Fund or the USVI
   Connect Fund will receive monthly installments of its pro rata share of
   mobile support amortized over the three-year support period provided in
   paragraph (a) of this section. Each recipient's pro rata share will be
   adjusted according to its election to receive or decline support for 4G
   LTE or 5G deployment. A mobile provider that fails to meet its
   commitment to use its eligible support for 4G LTE or 5G deployment
   shall return an amount equal the unused amount of Stage 2 support to
   the Administrator within 30 days following the end of the three-year
   support period.

   (e) Phase-down of legacy support. An eligible mobile carrier may elect
   or decline to participate in Stage 2 of the mobile Uniendo a Puerto
   Rico and/or the mobile Connect USVI Fund. Beginning on a date to be
   determined by the Bureau and announced by public notice, an eligible
   mobile carrier that declines to participate in Stage 2 will receive
   one-half of its prior frozen fixed support amortized for a 12-month
   period and zero fixed support thereafter.