US Congress Passes Bill Funding “Rip and Replace” for Huawei Gear

Congress has passed legislation offering $1 billion to help telecom carriers “rip and replace” equipment from Chinese tech firms Huawei and ZTE amid national security concerns. The Senate approved the measure late Thursday, following earlier House passage, which sends the measure to Donald Trump for his expected signature. The bill also bars the use of federal funds for the purchase or maintenance of telecom equipment from “untrusted” suppliers, codifying a ban ordered last year by the Federal Communications Commission. To reduce the impact on smaller telecom companies, the bill provides funds to subsidize the removal of equipment “that poses a national security risk” for those with fewer than two million customers.