WE HAVE TREMENDOUS SUPPORT.
LOU: THE FCC UNANIMOUSLY VOTED
5-0 TO BAN UP MUCH TELECOM
COMPANIES FROM USING FEDERAL
SUBSIDIES TO BUY OR MAINTAIN
EQUIPMENT MADE BY I HUAWEI AND
ZTE, LABELING THOSE COMPANIES A
NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT.
THE FCC ALSO BEGINNING THE
PROCESS THAT WOULD FORCE U.S.
TELECOM COMPANIES TO REPLACE
EXISTING ZTE PRODUCTS WITH A
PROCESS THAT COULD COST $2
BILLION OVER TWO YEARS.
CHOING US, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS
COMMISSION.
HE HAS BEEN FOCUSED ON THE ISSUE
OF TELECOM AND OTHER COMPANIES
USING TAXPAYER MONEY.
FOR YEARS COMMISSION CHAIRMAN
AJIT PAI LED THAT 5-0 VOTE TODAY
AND JOINS US TONIGHT.
CONGRATULATIONS ON THE VOTE.
A CLEAR-CUT STATEMENT OF PUTTING
U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY, NATIONAL
YOU INTEREST ABOVE COMMERCIAL
INTEREST, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO
YOU AND THE COMMISSION FOR DOING
SO.
>> IT'S A UNANIMOUS VOTE.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE NATIONAL
SECURITY OF OUR COMMUNICATIONS
NETWORK, WE DON'T KNOW PARTY
AFFILIATION.
IT'S ABOUT THE SECURITY OF THE
COUNTRY.
>> THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE
UNITED STATES ANNOUNCING CLEARLY
THAT BOTH THESE COMPANIES,
HUAWEI AND ZTE POSE A NATIONAL
SECURITY THREAT.
HE WENT FURTHER AND SAID IT'S
THE CONDUCT OF THE PEOPLE'S
REPUBLIC OF CHINA THAT GOES INTO
HIS ASSESSMENT OF THEIR NATIONAL
SECURITY THREAT AND THE RISK
POSED.
HOW FAR IS THIS GOING TO GO, AND
WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS FOR THE
UNITED STATES?
THESE TWO COMPANIES HAVE BEEN
FEATURES PROMINENTLY BY THE
CHINESE AND THEIR EFFORTS TO
DRIVE A POTENTIALS
DRIVE A POTENTIAL -- POTENTIALSP
DRIVE A POTENTIAL -- POTENTIALST
DRIVE A POTENTIAL -- POTENTIALSN
DRIVE A POTENTIAL -- POTENTIALSI
DRIVE A POTENTIAL -- POTENTIALSL
DRIVE A POTENTIAL -- POTENTIALS.
>> EACH OF THEM HAS ENGAGED IN
CONDUCT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
THEFT AND BRIBERY AND
CORRUPTION.
THEY ARE REQUIRED TO SECRETLY
COMPLY TO REQUESTS FROM CHINA'S
INTELLIGENCE SERVICES.
WE PROPOSE TO WANT USE OF FCC
FUNDING.
AND LOOKING BACKWARD WE WANT TO
UNDERSTAND IF THERE IS EXISTING
NETWORK EQUIPMENT FROM THOSE
COMPANIES AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO
RIP AND REPLACE IT.
THIS IS NOT A RISK WE CAN ALLOW
IN THIS COUNTRY.
>> IT HAS TO BE SOMETHING EVERY
AMERICAN IS REJOICING UPON
HEARING THE CHAIRMAN OF THE FCC
SAY THAT.
BUT WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT A
WHOLE GOVERNMENT.
THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT.
IS IT A WHOLE GOVERNMENT EFFORT
WE ARE WITNESSING OR IS IT
SOMEWHAT AD HOC IN THE YOU MIDST
OF FOREIGN POLICY CONCERNS
ARCTIC LATE BY SECRETARY OF
STATE POMPEO RECENTLY IN A
SPEECH DECLARING CHINA'S THREATS
TO THIS COUNTRY IS SIMPLY
UNACCEPTABLE.
>> ALL I CAN SPEAK TO IS WHAT
THE FCC BELIEVES.
FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE THESE TWO
COMPANIES PRESENT A NATIONAL
SECURITY RISK TO THE UNITED
STATES.
I HAVE DONE MANY TRIPS ABROAD
WHERE WE PRESENTED A COHERENT
AND CONSISTENT MESSAGE.
LOU: WHAT'S THE RESPONSE?
>> IT'S GENERALLY FAVORABLE.
OTHER COUNTRIES UNDERSTAND THE
RISK.
LOU: THERE IS ALSO A COMPETITIVE
RISK HERE AND A STRUCTURAL RISK.
THAT IS, THE COMPANIES WE
ASSUMED WOULD BE IN THE LEAD IN
THIS COUNTRY ON 5G, AT&T
PRINCIPLE AMONG THEM HAVEN'T
BEEN -- PRINCIPAL AMONG THEM,
HAVEN'T BEEN HITTING THEIR
MARKERS.
WHAT WILL THIS MEAN FOR THE
ADAPTATION OF U.S. TELECOM.
>> WE HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTING THE
5G FAST PLAN, MAKING IT EASIER
TO DEPLOY INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE
FUTURE, WHETHER IT'S WIRELESS OR
NEW ENTRANCE TO DOUGH PLOY THAT
STRUCTURE AT SCALE.
WE ARE WORKING WITH ALL THE
COMPANIES TO GIVE THEM A FULL
AND FAIR CHANCE TO COMPETE.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERY
AMERICAN COMPANY HAS THE MAXIMUM
INCENTIVE.
LOU: ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT
WHAT HAS BEEN A LAG ON 5G
COMPANIES?
>> WE'LL HAVE 92 COMMERCIAL
DEPLOYMENTS.
SO I'M HOPEFUL ALTHOUGH WE STILL
NEED TO MAINTAIN THAT LEAD, VISA
ADVICE CHAIN A AND OTHER
COMPANIES THAT WANT TO SEE THAT
OPPORTUNITY FOR THEMSELVES.
>> RURAL FARM COMMUNITIES THAT
ARE DESPERATE FOR LOWER PRICED,
HUAWEI ZTE-TYPE EQUIPMENT, IS IT
REPLACEABLE?
IS THAT A POSSIBILITY?
WILBUR ROSS IS VERY CONCERNED
ABOUT THE IMPLICATIONS FOR THOSE
RURAL COMMUNITIES WHO FRANKLY
JUST HAVE A DISADVANTAGED
POSITION WHEN IT COMES TO
TELECOM.
BUT 5G IN PARTICULAR.
>> THAT'S A CONCERN I SHARE AS A
RURAL AMERICAN.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY ONE OF
THE THINGS WE WANT TO MAKE SURE
IS OUR COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS
ARE SECURE.
WE ARE WORKING WITH THE RURAL
CARRIERS TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE
A FINANCING MECHANISM IN PLACE.
AT THE END OF THE DADE MY
MESSAGE IS SIMPLE.
THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH CHEAP
EQUIPMENT FROM HUAWEI AND ZTE IS
IT COSTS TOO MUCH.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THE RURAL
CARRIERS AND ALL OF US ARE ON
THE SAME PAGE.
LOU: THE ATTORNEY GENERAL SAID
THIS IN HIS LETTER TO THE FCC.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL WRITING, WE
SHOULD NOT SIGNAL THAT HUAWEI
AND ZTE ARE ANYTHING OTHER THAN
A THREAT TO OUR COLLECTIVE
SECURITY.
THEIR OWN TRACK RECORD AS WELL
AS THE PRACTICES OF THE CHINESE
GOVERNMENT DEMONSTRATE THAT
HUAWEI AND ZTE CANNOT BE
TRUSTED.
AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS ON THAT