WASHINGTON (Reuters) – US lawmakers are expected to support $ 1.9 billion to fund a program to remove telecom network equipment that the US government says poses national security risks as part of an annual release statement and COVID-19- bill. issue said Sunday.
Lawmakers are also expected to back $ 3.2 billion for an emergency broadband benefit for low-income Americans.
The Federal Communications Commission said in June that it had formally labeled China’s Huawei Technologies Co and ZTE Corp as threats, a statement preventing US companies from tapping into a $ 8.3 billion government fund to purchase equipment from the companies.
Earlier this month, the FCC enacted rules requiring carriers with ZTE or Huawei equipment to “tear up and replace” that equipment, but is awaiting funding from Congress.
Huawei said earlier this month that it was disappointed in the FCC’s decision “to force the removal of our products from telecommunications networks. This reach puts American citizens at risk in the largely deprived rural areas – during a pandemic – where reliable communication is essential. “
The bill “establishes a temporary emergency broadband provisioning program at the FCC to help low-income Americans, including those economically challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic, connect or stay connected to broadband,” the source said. .
The source also said the program will provide a $ 50 monthly grant to eligible households “to help them afford broadband services and an Internet-connected device.”
The $ 7 billion COVID Relief Broadband package also extends eligibility for the rip-and-replace fee program to communications providers with 10 million subscribers or less, but prioritizes reimbursement for providers with 2 million subscribers or less, the source said , with reference to a concept sheet.
The bill is expected to include $ 285 million for connecting minority communities and will establish an Office for Minority Broadband Initiatives at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).
It will also provide funding to “support minority educational institutions, including when working with minority-owned businesses, to expand broadband capacity and usage in the school and in the surrounding community.”
It also includes approximately $ 250 million for additional FCC support for telecare and $ 1 billion for an NTIA tribal broadband connectivity grant program.
There is a separate $ 300 million NTIA grant program to promote broadband expansion to disadvantaged Americans, especially in rural areas, and $ 65 million for better broadband cards.
This will fully fund the development of new, more accurate broadband availability maps by the FCC to help the agency better target government funding for broadband deployment.
Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Sonya Hepinstall