The latest estimate is $5.6 billion, according to the Federal Communications Commission, while 'Buy American' protectionism is causing concern in telecoms too

In September the same year, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a notice in which smaller US telcos had estimated it would cost them $1.8 billion to remove and replace Huawei and ZTE equipment in their networks.

The FCC noted that of this, the law only made provision for $1 billion for those smaller U.S. telcos.

The amount available was increased as part of the second Covid-19 Stimulus Bill, in September 2021, although even then the US Rural Wireless Association warned the increased amount would probably not be enough.

It will be interesting to see from the FCC's reviews exactly why the estimates just keep on rising, and what Congress' response to demands for more funding will be.