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Multiple Trade Associations Send Letter to Senate on Emergency Supplemental Spending Legislation

November 7, 2023

Washington, D.C. – Today, CCA led a group of nine trade associations in the telecommunications industry in sending a letter to Senate Majority Leader Schumer, Minority Leader McConnell, Appropriations Committee Chair Murray, and Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Collins, requesting that the Senate include full funding for the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program (“Rip and Replace”) in any emergency supplemental spending legislation.

 

The President has requested $3.1 billion to “fully reimburse eligible communications providers for the ongoing removal of insecure equipment and software from communications infrastructure that may pose a national security threat to the United States.” This funding is critical to maintaining connectivity across large areas of the country and is needed to fulfill the national security mandate that Congress created through the Rip and Replace Program at the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”).

 

An excerpt from the letter can be found below:

 

“As representatives of an industry faced by these national security challenges, we urge the Committee to include this funding in emergency supplemental spending legislation. . . . The Reimbursement Program faces a $3.08 billion shortfall based on cost estimates from approved applications, and because demand for support exceeds current funding, the FCC has been required to prorate funds, making 39.5% of approved funding currently available for each program participant as they venture to complete 100% of their projects. . . . Absent full funding of the Reimbursement Program, millions of Americans could lose access to even basic connectivity because impacted carriers cannot complete their projects with less than 40% of the needed funding.”

 

A link to the letter can be found here.

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About Competitive Carriers Association

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. Visit ccamobile.org.

 

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