UPDATE Senators Deb Fischer (R-NE) and John Hickenlooper (D-CO) introduced the bipartisan “Defend Our Networks Act” on Friday. Their bill would use roughly three percent of unobligated emergency COVID-relief funds to address a budget shortfall in the FCC’s Rip & Replace Reimbursement Program.
The program reimburses small, rural internet service providers for the costs of removing, disposing and replacing risky Chinese telecom network equipment from Huawei and ZTE. But in July 2022, the FCC said the program faces a more than $3B shortfall, Inside Towers reported.
“Discarding the roughly 24,000 pieces of Chinese-made communications equipment across the United States is critical to protecting U.S. national security from spying and other threats,” said the Senators on Friday. “Failure to properly fund the Rip and Replace Program would also devastate communications access in rural communities throughout the country, as providers are faced with shutting down insecure network elements.”
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said, “We have an obligation to help ensure the safety of our Nation’s communications networks. This responsibility never ends because the threats to network security are always evolving, and why we must do all we can to fully fund the replacement of insecure equipment throughout the country.”
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr agreed, saying the lawmakers, “crafted a commonsense bill that would strengthen communications networks in rural communities and bolster our national security.”
Competitive Carriers Association President/CEO Tim Donovan said the measure reflects the urgent need to fully fund Rip & Replace. “With deadlines looming, CCA strongly urges Congress to consider all options to provide the funds needed for the ‘rip and replace’ program to succeed.” Finding that money, he said, “is the only way to fulfill this national security mandate and remove untrusted equipment while maintaining connectivity, not only in Nebraska and Colorado, but across the nation.”
By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief
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