Washington: US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to rescind the authorization on Tuesday China TelecomU.S. subsidiary will operate in the United States, citing national security concerns.
The decision means that China Telecom America must now shut down US services within 60 days. China’s largest telecommunications company, China Telecom, has been authorized to provide telecommunications services in the United States for nearly 20 years.
The FCC found that China Telecom is “subject to exploitation, influence and control by the Chinese government and is highly likely to be forced to comply with Chinese government requests without adequate legal procedures subject to independent judicial oversight.”
The US regulator said that Chinese government ownership and control poses “significant national security and law enforcement risks” by providing opportunities for the company and the Chinese government to “access, store, intercept and/or misrepresent” US communications.
“The FCC’s decision is disappointing. We plan to pursue all available options while continuing to serve our customers,” a spokesperson for China Telecom Americas told Reuters.
China Telecom served more than 335 million customers worldwide as of 2019 and claims to be the largest fixed line and broadband operator in the world, according to a Senate report, and also provides services to Chinese government facilities in the United States. does.
The US government said in April 2020 that China Telecom targets its mobile virtual network of more than 4 million Chinese Americans; 2 million Chinese tourists visit the United States each year; 300,000 Chinese students in US colleges; and more than 1,500 Chinese businesses in the US.
In April, 2020, the FCC warned that it would attack three state-controlled Chinese companies, including China Telecom America, as well as China Unicom America, Pacific Networks Corp and its wholly-owned subsidiary Comnet (USA), citing national security risks. Telecom companies may shut down US operations. ) LLC after US agencies raised national security concerns.
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, a Republican, said the FCC should “be alert to the threats posed by China”. The Chinese embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment.
US Senator Rob Portman And tom carper, which released a report on US operations of Chinese telecommunications companies in 2020, praised the FCC’s decision in a joint statement, citing “substantial and serious national security and law enforcement risks”.
In March, the FCC began efforts to revoke authorization for China Unicom Americas, Pacific Networks and its wholly owned subsidiary, Comnet, to provide US telecommunications services.
In May 2019, the FCC unanimously voted to deny another state-owned Chinese telecommunications company, China Mobile, the right to provide US services.
The FCC has taken other actions against Chinese telcos and other companies.
Last year, the FCC designated Huawei Technologies Co and ZTE Corp as national security threats to communications networks — a declaration that barred US firms from tapping $8.3 billion government funds to buy equipment from the companies. The FCC adopted rules in December that required carriers with ZTE or Huawei equipment to “rip and replace” that equipment. In March, the FCC designated five Chinese companies as a threat to national security under a 2019 law, including Huawei, ZTE, Hytera Communications, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co and Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co.
The decision means that China Telecom America must now shut down US services within 60 days. China’s largest telecommunications company, China Telecom, has been authorized to provide telecommunications services in the United States for nearly 20 years.
The FCC found that China Telecom is “subject to exploitation, influence and control by the Chinese government and is highly likely to be forced to comply with Chinese government requests without adequate legal procedures subject to independent judicial oversight.”
The US regulator said that Chinese government ownership and control poses “significant national security and law enforcement risks” by providing opportunities for the company and the Chinese government to “access, store, intercept and/or misrepresent” US communications.
“The FCC’s decision is disappointing. We plan to pursue all available options while continuing to serve our customers,” a spokesperson for China Telecom Americas told Reuters.
China Telecom served more than 335 million customers worldwide as of 2019 and claims to be the largest fixed line and broadband operator in the world, according to a Senate report, and also provides services to Chinese government facilities in the United States. does.
The US government said in April 2020 that China Telecom targets its mobile virtual network of more than 4 million Chinese Americans; 2 million Chinese tourists visit the United States each year; 300,000 Chinese students in US colleges; and more than 1,500 Chinese businesses in the US.
In April, 2020, the FCC warned that it would attack three state-controlled Chinese companies, including China Telecom America, as well as China Unicom America, Pacific Networks Corp and its wholly-owned subsidiary Comnet (USA), citing national security risks. Telecom companies may shut down US operations. ) LLC after US agencies raised national security concerns.
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, a Republican, said the FCC should “be alert to the threats posed by China”. The Chinese embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment.
US Senator Rob Portman And tom carper, which released a report on US operations of Chinese telecommunications companies in 2020, praised the FCC’s decision in a joint statement, citing “substantial and serious national security and law enforcement risks”.
In March, the FCC began efforts to revoke authorization for China Unicom Americas, Pacific Networks and its wholly owned subsidiary, Comnet, to provide US telecommunications services.
In May 2019, the FCC unanimously voted to deny another state-owned Chinese telecommunications company, China Mobile, the right to provide US services.
The FCC has taken other actions against Chinese telcos and other companies.
Last year, the FCC designated Huawei Technologies Co and ZTE Corp as national security threats to communications networks — a declaration that barred US firms from tapping $8.3 billion government funds to buy equipment from the companies. The FCC adopted rules in December that required carriers with ZTE or Huawei equipment to “rip and replace” that equipment. In March, the FCC designated five Chinese companies as a threat to national security under a 2019 law, including Huawei, ZTE, Hytera Communications, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co and Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co.
.