House passes fiscal 2025 NDAA with agreement on fully funding FCC rip and replace program

The House advanced on a 281-140 vote Wednesday the compromise version of the fiscal 2025 National Defense Authorization Act with provisions to fully fund the shortfall in the Federal Communications Commission’s rip and replace program and conduct oversight over the Pentagon’s cyber zero trust efforts.

Congress established the rip and replace program in 2020 to reimburse rural telecom providers who were directed to remove equipment and services from Huawei and ZTE. The FCC found in 2022 that the demand for...