The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is moving forward with plans to ban the certification of testing laboratories that pose a potential threat to U.S. national security.
In a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) issued in late May, the Commission set forth its plan to prohibit entities identified on the Commission’s “Covered List” from being authorized as telecommunications certification bodies (TCBs) under the FCC’s equipment authorization program. Specifically, the NPRM would ban any testing lab with direct or indirect ownership of 10% or more by an entity on the Covered List.
The FCC’s Covered List includes major wireless equipment manufacturers that, in the Commission’s view, “pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States or the security and safety of United States persons.” The Covered List includes major global wireless manufacturers, including Huawei and ZTE, which reportedly have ties to the government of the People’s Republic of China and Chinese state-owned enterprises.
Read the FCC’s NPRM detailing its proposed changes to TCB certification rules.
View a Fact Sheet that provides a summary of the FCC’s proposed rule changes.
