US FCC votes for program to replace Huawei equipment in US networks
According to a Reuters report, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted unanimously to finalize a US$1.9 billion program to reimburse US carriers for removing equipment from companies deemed national security threats (e.g. Huawei and ZTE) from telecoms networks. In 2020, the FCC designated Huawei and ZTE as national security threats to communications networks, which barred the US firms from using a US$8.3 billion government fund to procure equipment from the companies. The FCC’s latest order expands the companies eligible for reimbursement from those with 2 million or fewer customers to those with 10 million or fewer customers.