The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is taking measures to block foreign companies such as Huawei, ZTE, and others that are deemed to pose national security concerns from certifying wireless equipment. The FCC is planning to vote on a proposal this month that aims to ensure that telecommunications certification agencies and testing laboratories that certify wireless equipment for the US market are not influenced by such companies, citing security concerns. This comes after the FCC recently banned Huawei from its equipment licensing program for testing laboratories.
The new proposal would permanently prohibit Huawei and other entities on the FCC’s list of companies posing national security risks from any role in the device licensing program. It provides the FCC and its national security partners with the necessary tools to protect the critical process. In November 2022, the FCC banned the approval of new telecommunications equipment from Huawei and ZTE, as well as telecommunications and video surveillance equipment from other companies, including Hytera Communications Corp, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology, and Zhejiang Dahua Technology. The FCC has continued to add companies such as AO Kaspersky Lab (Russia), China Telecom (US branch), China Mobile International (US branch), Pacific Networks Corp, and China Unicom (US branch) to the list.
Huawei and Hikvision were placed on the US export control list in 2019, which restricts most US suppliers from shipping goods and technology to them unless licensed. In 2020, the FCC designated Huawei and ZTE as national security threats to communications networks, leading to a ban on US companies tapping $8.3 billion in government funds to buy equipment from these companies.
According to FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, this proposal would ensure that laboratories and agencies certifying electronic devices comply with FCC requirements and work with organizations that the FCC can trust.