US regulators have finalised the US$1.9 billion program to rip and replace equipment from Chinese telecom companies considered national security risks by Washington.

The program will subsidize the cost for small telecommunications companies to replace gear from companies like Huawei and ZTE in an effort to secure US networks.

To be eligible US telecom operators must serve a maximum of 10 million customers.

Companies that obtained equipment from Huawei or ZTE prior to June 30, 2020, can apply to be reimbursed for their replacement costs.

It’s the latest effort to further isolate China’s Huawei, the world’s biggest telecommunications equipment manufacturer, which began during the Trump era.