The Federal Communications Commission has voted to close loopholes associated with its list of telecommunications equipment barred from entering the United States due to national security concerns.
According to the agency’s Tuesday release, it introduced new rules to prevent the continued importation, marketing and sales of devices that foreign adversaries, such as China, can use to threaten the privacy and security of Americans and disrupt critical infrastructures.
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What Do FCC’s New Rules Mean for Telco Equipment Imports?
The FCC maintains a Covered List, which already prohibits the entry of insecure devices, including products from Chinese companies Huawei and Hikvision, into the U.S. Previous regulations, however, do not apply to previously authorized devices.
The new rules establish a process for the FCC to prohibit the continued importation, marketing and sale of all devices that have been placed on the Covered List, even if they have received prior approval from the commission. The rules can also be applied in a targeted manner.
During the vote, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr highlighted the agency’s recent initiatives to protect U.S. telecommunication systems, such as the Rip and Replace reimbursement program, which incentivized providers of advanced communications services to replace equipment from Huawei and another Chinese company ZTE.
He warned that foreign adversaries continue to look for ways to exploit vulnerabilities in American systems, which is why the FCC needs to do more.
Could a More Expansive Ban Be Next?
The Commission also approved a further notice of proposed rulemaking to explore extending these restrictions to a wider range of devices controlled by foreign adversaries and to strengthen enforcement against unlawful marketing of equipment in the Covered List.
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