House China Panel Urges Fully Funding FCC's Rip-and-Replace Program
The House China Committee Tuesday recommended as part of a report on ways to "fundamentally reset" the U.S. economic competition with China that Congress "fully fund" the FCC's Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program, which faces a $3.08 billion…
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budget gap and resultant prorating of payouts to participants (see 2310120067). Lawmakers have been eyeing whether to directly appropriate the additional $3.08 billion amid stalled talks on a spectrum legislative package that would loan the money to the FCC and use future auction proceeds to pay it off (see 2311070050). The House China report doesn't recommend a specific funding vehicle but says providing the money will help remove "Huawei, ZTE, and other high-risk foreign adversary-controlled telecom vendors" from U.S. networks. The panel recommended strengthening the FCC’s "covered list" of companies barred from the agency’s equipment authorization program by enacting legislation allowing DOJ "to make determinations as to the national security threat from certain equipment and services that can trigger the FCC to add such equipment and services to the Covered List. This could ensure that the FCC can rapidly respond to 'white-labeled' equipment and services that should be on the Covered List." House China also wants legislation "requiring a separate equipment certification for any device using any module produced by any Covered List entities or their subsidiaries or affiliates." Competitive Carriers Association President Tim Donovan praised the report. "Congress must immediately provide full funding to secure our nation’s networks and prevent any loss to vital communications services," he said in a statement.