UPDATE Viaero Wireless of Colorado has joined with SEMPRE to remove the Huawei and ZTE equipment currently in use by rural telcos in the High Plains area. Huawei and ZTE gear has been banned by the U.S. government for being a national security risk. It is part of a government-funded nationwide effort where rural telcos are now working to find solutions to help strip their networks of the equipment.
Viaero Wireless has digital infrastructure in the Rocky Mountain and Great Plains regions, which have multiple strategic U.S. military bases, including those housing U.S. nuclear forces and Intercontinental Ballistic Missile fields. SEMPRE (Secure EMP-Resistant Edge) is a micro edge data center that provides survivable telecommunications and edge cloud infrastructure to secure existing networks or as a standalone solution.
SEMPRE will protect and secure access to information on Viaero’s network with security, resiliency, edge compute and survivability. The agreement’s intent will be to foster resiliency, enhance security and further develop interoperability between commercial and military networks.
Reimbursement for removing the equipment, known as “Rip & Replace,” remains in limbo after the FCC reported a shortfall between the $1.9 billion Congress allocated and the $3.08 billion needed to fully reimburse everyone, Inside Towers reported. Eighteen wireless carriers and stakeholders urged Congress to fully fund the reimbursement program in July.
By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor
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