WASHINGTON: A proposed US national security ban on equipment from two Chinese telecommunications companies would leave dozens of small, rural cellular companies that rely on their cheap equipment without working cell towers and greatly reduced coverage.
That could leave thousands of rural residents with less access – if any at all – to 911 emergency services, allowing fires to rage and accident victims to agonise. In short, a proposed ban may address national security concerns, rural operators say, but at a cost of American lives and a retreat in service.