US FCC advances proposed Huawei and ZTE equipment ban on telecoms networks, which could revoke prior approvals
- The proposed rules would prevent the Chinese tech giants from being able to win authorisation for use on US networks
- The rules also affect Hikvision, Hytera Communications and Dahua Technology, which were designated as national security threats in March
Under proposed rules that won initial approval, the FCC could also revoke prior equipment authorisations issued to Chinese companies.
A Huawei spokesperson, in an email, called the FCC revision “misguided and unnecessarily punitive”.
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Acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said the new measures would “exclude untrustworthy equipment from our communications networks … We have left open opportunities for [Huawei and other Chinese equipment] use in the United States through our equipment authorisation process. So here we propose to close that door.”
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said the FCC has approved more than 3,000 applications from Huawei since 2018.
The FCC action would prohibit all future authorisations for communications equipment deemed to pose an unacceptable risk to national security.
A group of US lawmakers including Democratic Senator Ed Markey and Republican Senator Marco Rubio praised the FCC action saying it mirrors the goals of bipartisan legislation. They said the FCC voted “to put national security first by keeping compromised Chinese equipment out of US telecommunications networks”.
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The affected companies included the previously designated Huawei and ZTE, as well as Hytera Communications Corp, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co and Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co.
Huawei said “blocking the purchase of equipment, based on a ‘predictive judgment’, related to country of origin or brand is without merit, discriminatory and will do nothing to protect the integrity of US communications networks or supply chains”.
In August 2020, the US government barred federal agencies from buying goods or services from any of the five Chinese companies.
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Last year, the FCC designated Huawei and ZTE as national security threats to communications networks – a declaration that barred US firms from tapping an US$8.3 billion government fund to purchase equipment from the companies.
Rosenworcel said the FCC will vote in July to finalise the rules overseeing the reimbursement fund.
