Prior to Thanksgiving, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel told reporters she intended to soon update Congress on the need for more money to fully reimburse 126 small carriers for the removal, disposal and replacement of Huawei and ZTE mobile network equipment. The U.S. considers the gear to be untrusted and to potentially provide a “backdoor” for the Chinese Communist Party to access U.S. wireless networks.
Rosenworcel reiterated the need to address the $3.08 billion shortfall in the Rip & Replace program in her update to lawmakers last Wednesday. As Rosenworcel noted, half of program participants said they cannot complete required work without additional government support and 72 percent flag the funding gap as a barrier to progress. Eighty-five percent of project extension requests have been tied to the lack of adequate funding.
Competitive Carriers Association President and CEO Tim Donovan called the lack of needed funding “alarming and far-reaching.” Donovan emphasized, “Participants in the Program who are the sole communications provider for rural and remote areas have already shut down portions of their networks, depriving communities of connectivity and essential services, including 911 and emergency services.”
“Lack of full funding poses grave risks to U.S. national security, as insecure foreign-made communications equipment remains operational,” Donovan explained. He said lawmakers “must prioritize full funding of Rip and Replace before the end of the 118th Congress. The stakes are too high to delay.”
By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief
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