FCC Commissioner: Close ‘Loophole’ Allowing Chinese Telecoms to Access US Networks

Jan Jekielek
Updated:

Americans have come to understand the national security threat posed by China-based telecom companies, but they might be surprised to learn that equipment from the telecom firms continues to be used in U.S. networks, according to Brendan Carr, Federal Communication Commission (FCC) commissioner.

The FCC in 2020 banned carriers in the United States from using an $8.3 billion federal fund to purchase equipment from China-based telecom companies Huawei and ZTE after deeming them to be national security threats. However, carriers are allowed to buy and use the exact same equipment as long as they use private funds.