FCC Estimates It'll Cost Carriers $1.8 Billion to Replace Huawei, ZTE Hardware
upstart writes in with an IRC submission:
FCC estimates it'll cost carriers $1.8 billion to replace Huawei, ZTE hardware:
Removing and replacing ZTE and Huawei equipment in US networks could cost carriers over $1.8 billion, according to estimates they gave to the Federal Communications Commission. Most of that (over $1.6 billion) could be eligible for reimbursement. However, Congress has yet to appropriate such funds, which could leave small carriers on the hook for hefty bills.
In June, the FCC deemed ZTE and Huawei to be national security threats. The FCC has blocked carriers from using money they receive from the Universal Service Fund to buy or maintain equipment from the Chinese companies. The USF is supposed to subsidize coverage in underserved (i.e. rural) areas.
[...] However, it might be prohibitively expensive for them to tear all of that out and install equipment and services from other suppliers.
[...] Congress has yet to appropriate the reimbursement funds, however, and FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has urged it to do so.
[...] Meanwhile, in May, Trump extended an executive order that effectively bans American companies from buying and using equipment from the Huawei and ZTE. That order now runs through May 2021.
Or wait until after the election?
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