Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Brendan Carr has called for new measures to ban Chinese Huawei and ZTE equipment from U.S. telecommunications networks and to ensure that electronic equipment produced by forced labor cannot enter the U.S. market.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) took steps last year to require U.S. telecommunications operators to remove and replace Huawei and ZTE equipment purchased with $8.3 billion in government funds. However, telecom providers can still use private funds to purchase the two companies’ equipment.
Reuters reported that Carl, a Republican, today called for closing this “obvious loophole,” noting that “it makes no sense to allow manufacturers to buy the exact same equipment and use it in the U.S. market as long as no federal funds are involved.
Carr also said the FCC could do more to respond to China’s persecution of ethnic and religious minorities such as the Uighurs in Xinjiang.
He said the FCC’s equipment authorization rules need to be updated to require companies purchasing equipment or parts for Xinjiang to “take increasing responsibility for ensuring that their supply chains do not rely on any forced labor.
An FCC spokesman said Acting Chairman Jessica Rosenworcel “has long been committed to reforming the equipment authorization process to strengthen the security of new network equipment and is pleased to see growing support for the concept. The spokesman added that “the FCC is already working on the issues raised by Commissioner Carr.
Earlier this month, the FCC determined that five Chinese companies, including Huawei, ZTE, Hytera, Hikvision and Dahua Technology, pose a national security threat to the United States under the 2019 law protecting U.S. communications networks.
The FCC in December last year, requiring U.S. telecommunications network operators to “remove and replace” the equipment of ZTE and Huawei. The U.S. Congress also set aside $1.9 billion for related subsidies.
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