Senator Peters Secures Funding in National Defense Bill to Replace Chinese-made Telecom Equipment, Protect U.S. Broadband Networks Against Cyber Threats

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters has secured robust funding in the recently passed national defense bill for the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Plan, otherwise known as the “Rip and Replace” program. This federal program helps American internet service providers remove and replace compromised Chinese-made telecommunications equipment currently being used in the United States, which can pose a serious threat to our national security. It also enables many rural broadband providers, including those in Michigan, to improve and expand their network coverage for the first time in years. 

In total, this program directs more than $57 million to Michigan, where more than 300 sites have been found to be compromised by Chinese-made equipment and require new, more secure technologies. This specific provision provides $27 million to Northern Michigan University to upgrade their Educational Access Network, enabling them to expand broadband access beyond the thousands of students and families they serve in communities across the Upper Peninsula. 

“Using this Chinese-made telecommunications equipment provides our adversaries with an entry point to infiltrate our networks or launch cyberattacks that can steal information or harm our people, infrastructure or institutions,” said Senator Peters. “This robust funding will allow us to rid our networks of this risky technology, helping to bolster our national cybersecurity defenses while ensuring service providers across Michigan can continue to provide essential internet service to some of the most rural and underserved areas of our state.”  

“We appreciate Senator Peters’ support in helping secure $27 million to support Upper Peninsula residents who desperately need and who do not always have access to affordable broadband that supports their educational, e-commerce, and healthcare needs. This funding ensures continued internet service for the 16,000 families served by Northern Michigan University and delivers secure wireless broadband connections to some of the most rural corners of the Upper Peninsula,” said NMU Vice President for Finance & Administration Gavin Leach. 

The national defense bill sets annual policy for the Department of Defense (DOD) and has become law for more than 60 consecutive years. Both the House and Senate have now passed this bill, and it is headed to the President’s desk to be signed into law. When signed, this bill will close the existing shortfall in the Rip and Replace program, and deliver the resources needed to remove and replace any at-risk telecommunications equipment that was produced by the Chinese-owned Huawei Technologies Company (Huawei) and ZTE Corporation (ZTE). 

Senator Peters has previously led efforts to strengthen the Rip and Replace program. In 2021, Peters’ Ensuring Network Security Act was signed into law, helping to expand access to federal funding for telecommunications providers and educational institutions for the removal and replacement of prohibited telecommunications equipment from dangerous sources, including Huawei and ZTE.  

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