CCA & Trade Associations Submit LFR Urging Full Funding for Rip and Replace
CCA and Eight Other Telecommunications Trade Associations Submit Letter for the Record Urging Full Funding for Rip and Replace to House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee
Washington, D.C. – Today, CCA led a group of nine telecommunications trade associations total in submitting a Letter for the Record to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, ahead of the subcommittee’s hearing “Safeguarding Americans' Communications: Strengthening Cybersecurity in a Digital Era.” The associations urged Congress to immediately provide full funding for the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program (Program), noting key correlations between the success of the program and the security of American networks. The complete removal and replacement of untrusted equipment from American networks depends on Congress’s urgent priority to fully fund the Program.
Only Congress can provide funding to resolve the $3.08 billion shortfall, and every day that passes without addressing this national security mandate is another day that American networks–and the communities they serve–remain vulnerable not only to untrusted entities but also to losing vital communication services altogether.
An excerpt from the letter can be found below:
“The clock is ticking to complete this tremendous national security undertaking, and a $3.08 billion shortfall remains. The FCC allocated funding proportionately, providing approximately 40% of needed funds to each applicant. Most applicants, however, cannot complete this important work without full funding, and the likelihood of network degradation or even failure, leaving communities vulnerable and unserved, is growing. […] All carriers participating in the Program urgently want to complete the transition to secure and trusted networks. They take national security and network security seriously and are working diligently to completely remove equipment determined to pose a security threat from American networks. While the United States has taken a leadership position internationally about the risks of untrusted communications equipment and services from companies connected to the Chinese government, work remains to eliminate that risk in our own heartland. The FCC cannot provide additional resources for this Program – only Congress can provide funding to resolve the shortfall.”
A link to the letter can be found here.
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Competitive Carriers Association (CCA) is the leading association for competitive wireless providers and stakeholders across the United States. Members range from small, rural carriers serving fewer than 5,000 customers to regional and nationwide providers serving millions of customers, as well as vendors and suppliers that provide products and services throughout the wireless communications ecosystem.
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