WASHINGTON: The Federal Communications Commission on Friday designated five Chinese companies as posing a threat to national security under a 2019 law aimed at protecting US communications networks.
A 2019 law requires the FCC to identify companies producing telecommunications equipment and services “that have been found to pose an unacceptable risk to US national security”. The 2019 law used criteria from a defence authorisation bill that previously identified the five Chinese companies. In August 2020, the US government issued regulations barring agencies from buying goods or services from any of the five Chinese companies.Last year, the FCC designated Huawei and ZTE as a national security threat to communications networksa declaration barring US firms from tapping an US$8.3 billion government fund to purchase equipment from the companies.