US approves allocation of USD 7 billion for broadband relief, including USD 1.9 billion for removal of Huawei, ZTE equipment

News General United States 22 DEC 2020
US approves allocation of USD 7 billion for broadband relief, including USD 1.9 billion for removal of Huawei, ZTE equipment
US Congress has approved USD 7 billion within the covid-19 relief bill to support a range of broadband affordability and accessibility programmes. President Donald Trump is expected to soon sign the bill into law. The relief bill in general amounts to USD 900 billion. The funding includes USD 98 million to implement the Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability (DATA) Act, a bipartisan legislation enacted in 2020 to create a comprehensive national broadband map. A total of USD 1.9 billion will also go towards replacing telecom equipment from China’s Huawei and ZTE.

The legislation in addition includes USD 3.2 billion for an Emergency Broadband Connectivity Fund, USD 300 million for broadband infrastructure in rural America, and USD 250 million for the FCC’s covid-19 Telehealth Program. Qualifying households will receive USD 50 per month in subsidies to help pay for broadband services and devices.

Industry group US Telecom said the passage of the bill’s first stage was “great news,” especially to modernize the country’s national broadband maps. “We’ve got more work to do as a nation, but these are bold steps that will yield significant returns and ultimately advance our shared national goal of universal connectivity,” the group said.

This assistance for getting disadvantaged households online will help in "jump starting the economic recovery next year," Oregon Senator Ron Wyden said, LightReading reported.

Categories:

General

Companies:

FCC,  ZTE,  Huawei

Countries:

United States

Tags:

Regulations, Government policy, Financial funding

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