US-China tech war: FCC commissioner urges tougher steps on Huawei and Xinjiang
- Current rules that allow US carriers to buy Chinese telecoms equipment with private funds is a “loophole”, says Brendan Carr
- Carr also expresses concerns over the potential use of forced labour in Chinese supply chains
Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr on Tuesday called for new steps to ensure Huawei Technologies and ZTE equipment is barred from US telecommunications networks and ensure no electronic devices produced with forced labour enter the United States.
The FCC last year adopted rules requiring US telecoms carriers to remove and replace equipment produced by Huawei or ZTE if purchased using an US$8.3 billion government fund, but carriers could still purchase equipment from the Chinese companies with private funds.
Carr, a Republican, called for closing the “glaring loophole … It makes no sense to allow that exact same equipment to get purchased and inserted into our communication network as long as federal dollars are not involved.”
Huawei said in a statement that “extending the FCC’s evaluation and approval process to prohibit equipment that is already accredited by the FCC is misguided and costly to American companies.”
It said blocking equipment based on where it was assembled is “discriminatory and will do nothing to protect the integrity of US communications networks or supply chains.”