U.S. House to Vote on $3 Billion Plan to Remove Chinese Telecom Equipment

The defense bill aims to address national security concerns by funding the replacement of Huawei and ZTE hardware in American networks.

The U.S. House of Representatives will vote next week on a defense bill allocating over $3 billion to replace Chinese telecom equipment from Huawei and ZTE in U.S. wireless networks.
The Federal Communications Commission estimates the total cost of removing this equipment to be $4.98 billion, leaving a significant funding gap despite the proposed allocation.
FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel warned that insufficient funding could lead to rural network shutdowns, potentially disrupting critical services like 911 emergency calls.
The 1,800-page bill also includes provisions requiring reports on China's efforts to bypass U.S. security regulations and an intelligence assessment of Chinese biotechnology capabilities.
This initiative is part of a broader U.S. strategy to reduce reliance on Chinese technology in critical infrastructure and strengthen national security.