Quick Hits

*** A bill establishing a program at the Federal Communications Commission to reimburse telecommunications infrastructure owners for removing and replacing some Chinese-made gear from their networks would cost $726 million through 2030, according to an estimate from the Congressional Budget Office. The Senate Commerce Committee passed the United States 5G Leadership Act of 2019 in July of last year.

*** Is it RICO? It is for Chinese telecommunications firm Huawei, which was charged Feb. 13 by the Justice Department in a conspiracy to steal trade secrets under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations.

In a joint statement praising the indictment, Sens. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.), the chairman and vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence said that "Intellectual property theft, corporate sabotage, and market manipulation are part of Huawei's core ethos and reflected in every aspect of how it conducts business. It uses these tactics indiscriminately against competitors and collaborators alike. Huawei's unlawful business practices are a threat to fair and open markets, as well as to legitimate competition in a tech space that is critical for the global economy."