Washington, D.C. – Competitive Carriers Association President and CEO Tim Donovan made the following statement regarding the Federal Communications Commission’s July 17, 2023 deadline by which Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program (“Rip and Replace”) participants must submit a reimbursement request which, upon payment, triggers the statutory 1-year deadline for project completion:

“Today marks a dark deadline for carriers participating in the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program (Program) to submit “rip and replace” reimbursement claims. Because Congress has not yet fully funded the Program, carriers are forced to undertake the endeavor of removing untrusted equipment with 40% of otherwise approved cost estimates to completely remove, replace, and destroy this untrusted equipment. Absent full funding, networks in many rural and sensitive parts of our country are at ever-increasing risk of breaking down and going dark. Because of the funding shortfall, impacted carriers must make decisions to “rip” but not “replace,” including in areas where no other carrier provides service. This dire situation ignores our country’s national security and the connectivity of millions of Americans.

Carriers relied on assurances from Congress that full funding would be provided and began the rip and replace process before the Program was fully funded. While the Program has strong bipartisan support, time is of the essence to provide the remaining $3.08 billion to secure America’s communications networks. Each day that passes while the funding shortfall remains has real consequences on connectivity in rural America.”

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About Competitive Carriers Association

Competitive Carriers Association (CCA) is the leading association for competitive wireless providers and stakeholders across the United States. Members range from small, rural carriers serving fewer than 5,000 customers to regional and nationwide providers serving millions of customers, as well as vendors and suppliers that provide products and services throughout the wireless communications ecosystem.