Rural telecom networks would spend $1.8 billion to remove Huawei, ZTE equipment: FCC

WASHINGTON: U.S. rural telecommunications networks, which have relied on inexpensive equipment from Chinese’s Huawei Technologies Co and ZTE Corp , have told the government that it would cost $1.837 billion to replace those switches and routers, the Federal Communications Commission said on Friday.

In June, the FCC formally designated Huawei and ZTE as threats to U.S. national security, a declaration that bars U.S. firms from tapping an $8.3 billion government fund to purchase equipment from the companies.