Congress underfunding program could place rural carriers at risk, Podcast

Telecom Reseller / Technology Reseller News

Networks Reimbursement Program (SCRP), an initiative designed to Remove Replace and Dispose (RRD) of certain non-US equipment. Regulatory agencies urged rural carriers to buy less expensive products to speed connectivity to sixty million Americans who live in rural areas and smaller towns, that are often left behind by a lack of connectivity. Later, the same agencies began to urge the same players to replace many of the same products as security, including national security issues mounted. Congress launched a program designed to help with those replacements. Many rural carriers have small subscriber bases, serve modest income customers and simple lack the cash and capital to abandon long term investments before their (usual) time. Congress funded the replacement program, however, only partially. In this podcast Summit Ridge Group’s Armand Musey walks us through the problem. Due to the lack of full funding from Congress, many participants have been stuck waiting to approve and start the Rip & Replace program. In many areas of the country, the work required to replace the telecom equipment takes several weeks or sometimes months. If wireless carriers’ emergency shutdowns aren’t accounted for, there will be major disruptions in service across the country as many carriers will be forced to go bankrupt to make these repairs. Summit Ridge Group is the leading financial and business valuation consulting boutique focused exclusively on the telecommunications, media, and satellite industries globally.