U.S. House To Vote On $3 Billion To Remove Chinese Telecom Gear

The US House of Representatives will vote next week on a defense bill allocating over $3 billion to help US telecom companies remove Chinese-made equipment, including gear from Huawei and ZTE, to address security risks, David Shepardson reported for Reuters.

Washington has also encouraged its allies to purge Huawei and ZTE equipment from their networks as part of broader efforts to counter perceived threats from Chinese technology. I Photo: ZTE

The bill, which spans 1,800 pages, includes several provisions targeting China. These include a report on China's attempts to bypass US national security regulations and an intelligence assessment of its biotechnology capabilities.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has estimated that removing insecure Chinese equipment will cost $4.98 billion.

However, Congress has so far only approved $1.9 billion for the "rip and replace" program, leaving a $3.08 billion shortfall.

FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel recently urged Congress to provide additional funding, warning that without it, both national security and the connectivity of rural consumers relying on these networks could be at risk.

Washington has also encouraged its allies to purge Huawei and ZTE equipment from their networks as part of broader efforts to counter perceived threats from Chinese technology.