US telephone companies must now report Huawei and ZTE equipment use, under new FCC order
- The Chinese telecommunications gear makers are accused by the Trump administration of posing a risk of espionage
- Huawei equipment is cheaper than competitors’ and is popular with smaller, rural US telecoms providers, which often rely on government subsidies
The action is the next step in the FCC’s response to warnings about the Chinese companies, which make parts vital to operating communications networks. The data can help inform further “potential actions” and will help design a reimbursement programme for service providers that may need to remove and replace the gear, the FCC said in a news release.
Huawei equipment is cheaper than competitors’ and is popular with smaller, rural US telecoms providers, which often rely on government subsidies.
The FCC in November barred subsidy recipients from buying equipment made by companies such as Huawei and ZTE. Wednesday’s action will help “to protect our networks and protect the American people”, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said in the release. Carriers receiving subsidies must report to the FCC by April 22, the agency said.
The agency is considering making final its initial designation that Shenzhen-based Huawei and ZTE pose a national security threat. The agency also has proposed requiring the removal of existing equipment from providers deemed to pose a threat.
US officials, diplomats and lawmakers have said Huawei and ZTE pose an espionage threat, especially as mobile networks are transformed with faster and more advanced 5G systems that can share masses of information quickly.