Washington, D.C. - Following President Trump signing their bipartisan Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act (H.R. 4998 ) into law to help secure America’s telecommunications supply chain, Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Ranking Member Greg Walden (R-OR), and Reps. Doris Matsui (D-CA) and Brett Guthrie (R-KY) released the following statement:
“Securing our networks from malicious foreign interference is critical to America’s wireless future, especially as some communications providers rely on equipment from companies like Huawei that pose an immense threat to America’s national and economic security," Pallone, Walden, Matsui and Guthrie said. “With the President signing this important, bipartisan bill into law, we can take steps to protect our communications networks from bad actors, while helping small and rural providers remove and replace suspect network equipment. We look forward to continuing to work together to protect our communications networks, keep Americans safe, and bolster our national security in today’s interconnected world."
The bipartisan Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act:
* Requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish the Secure and Trusted Communications Reimbursement Program to assist small communications providers with the costs of removing prohibited equipment or services from their networks and replacing the prohibited equipment with more secure communications equipment or services;
* Helps the Federal government better share supply chain security information with carriers, particularly smaller carriers, to help keep suspect equipment out of our networks in the future.
* Prohibits the use of federal funds administered by the FCC to purchase communications equipment or services from companies that pose a national security risk to American communications networks;
