Puerto Rico: Upper house likely to challenge single telco, energy watchdog bill

While Puerto Rico’s House of Representatives has cleared a bill that would create a single watchdog to oversee both the electricity and telco markets, reports say parliament’s upper house Senators are likely to challenge its passage.

The bill would create the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission, a body that would reform the current Electric Power Authority and replace the Telecommunications Regulatory Board.

While reports say Senators are likely to challenge the bill’s passage, the legislation has similarly faced criticism by members of the telco industry.

The head of cable operator Liberty Puerto Rico, Naji Khoury, reportedly slammed the proposed law as one that would go against the “regulatory model in which competition is the axis of the regulatory process and market structuring.”

Reports say the new regulator would collect fees to cover its operating costs, which would be charged to consumers through their telephone, television, internet and electricity bills.

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