Not sure how the last bit relates to COVID-19 but there ya go Matthew Hughes Mon 21 Dec 2020 // 15:00 UTC Share Copy Over the weekend, Republican and Democrat lawmakers in the US reached consensus on a new $900bn coronavirus stimulus bill. In addition to $600 direct payments to individuals, support for small businesses, and enhanced unemployment insurance, the package includes $1.9bn earmarked to support rural carriers in removing equipment made by ZTE and Huawei. This funding is the latest in a series of measures designed to wean rural carriers off so-called "high-risk" kit. In November 2019, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) formally prohibited carriers from using federal subsidies to acquire new gear from ZTE and Huawei. This was codified in law in February with the passage of HR 4998 – better known as the "Secure and Trusted Communications Network Act of 2019" – which also allocated $1bn to rip-and-replace efforts.