On April 25th, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of the United States announced that it is ordering the American subsidiaries of China Telecom, China Unicom, and China Mobile to cease their fixed or mobile broadband internet services in the United States.
According to Reuters, the FCC has requested that the Chinese telecom operators cease their services within 60 days of the approval of net neutrality rules on Thursday (25th). This order also applies to China Telecom’s Pacific Networks and its wholly-owned subsidiary ComNet.
Previously, the FCC had prohibited these companies from providing telecom services, and U.S. courts upheld these decisions.
FCC Chairman Jessica Rosenworcel stated on Thursday that the commission has evidence of Chinese telecom operators providing broadband services in the United States. The FCC has cited national security reasons for revoking or refusing Chinese companies the right to provide telecom services in the United States.
The FCC mentioned that Chinese telecom companies are “utilized, influenced, and controlled by the Chinese (CCP) government.” China Telecom did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks pointed out that China Telecom’s website shows the company operating 26 so-called Internet “Points of Presence” (POPs) in the United States, providing hosting, broadband, IP transit, and data center services. The FCC has expressed national security concerns about Chinese access to these “Points of Presence” typically located within data centers.
Starks said, “They are interconnected with other networks and can access critical points of presence and data centers.” He urged a careful examination of the threats posed by hostile suppliers to our data and data center infrastructure.
It is reported that this is the latest action by Washington to restrict Chinese telecom operators, including limiting undersea cables handling internet traffic. The FCC had previously prohibited the approval of new telecom equipment from Huawei, ZTE, and other companies, citing “unacceptable risks” to U.S. national security.