The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is continuing with its efforts to secure the nation’s telecom networks by initiating proceedings that would revoke the decades-old authorization of three telecommunications carriers with ties to China from operating in the U.S.
In a press release issued by the FCC in mid-March, the FCC named three carriers, China Unicom Americas, Pacific Networks, and ComNet, which it says are owned and controlled by the government of the People’s Republic of China.
In response to the substantial evolution of security threats in the past few years, the Commission has raised concerns about the vulnerability of Chinese state-owned enterprises to direct control by the government. Last year, the FCC requested that each of the three companies show cause why the Commission should not revoke their authorizations under its Section 214 authority.
Because each company failed to fully address the FCC’s concerns in their respective responses, the Commission decided that, consistent with national security interests, to begin proceedings to determine whether “present and future public interest, convenience, and necessity” justify the revocation of the authorizations previously granted to each company.
Read the FCC’s press release regarding the revocation of the companies’ authorization.
