The US House of Representatives has unanimously passed the Utilizing Strategic Allied Telecommunications Act of 2020, which earmarks $750m in grants to support the domestic development of OpenRAN.
The bill – which enjoys rare bipartisan support with 11 sponsors across both parties – places responsibility for administering the programme to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, a body directed to begin issuing grants within 18 months of the bill's entrance into law.
These funds will focus on promoting the use of OpenRAN, accelerating deployment by carriers, and developing the underlying technology, with an emphasis on supply chains, virtualization, and security.
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