The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has made progress in its effort to help “rip and replace” untrusted IT equipment from communications service providers’ networks, but FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said on Thursday that the program is in need of more funding as it faces a shortfall of over $3 billion.
The FCC’s Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program (SCRP) funds the removal of communications equipment and services produced or provided by China-based Huawei Technologies Company and ZTE Corporation – as well as other providers that the Federal government may view as a national security threat.
“We have insecure Chinese equipment in many of our networks around the country. We have asked them to rip it out and replace it with secure equipment. Congress provided us with funds for the carriers to do this, but we have a shortfall of over $3 billion,” Rosenworcel said at a House Energy and Commerce Communications and Technology Subcommittee hearing on Nov. 30.
“That means we’re providing 40 cents on the dollar to a lot of small and rural carriers to rip this equipment out and replace it. We need more funds to get the job done and for our networks to be fully secure,” she stressed.
Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., ranking member of subcommittee, agreed with the need for more funding, saying she fully appreciates “the severity of the threat posed by network equipment.”
As an original cosponsor of the SCRP Act of 2019, Rep. Matsui said that until Congress fully funds the reimbursement program, “our work will not be done.”
“We’re going to need more funding from Congress for it to fully succeed,” Rosenworcel added.
The White House sent a supplemental funding request to Congress in October, which features $3.1 billion to fund the FCC’s rip and replace program. The $9.1 billion request also includes $6 billion to help fund the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides eligible households with a discount on broadband service and connected devices.
Congress has yet to reach a comprehensive, bipartisan agreement to fund the government for fiscal year 2024, and has yet reach agreement on the supplemental funding request. Despite that, Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., said the rip and replace program “should be a totally bipartisan issue.”
“When we take our oath of office, our top responsibility is our national security. And that’s what that policy is all about. I don’t take a backseat to anyone on this issue,” Rep. Eshoo said. “We cannot afford to have any kind of foothold by the likes of Huawei and ZTE.”
