Chinese Telecom Firms Barred from Offering Broadband in the US

On April 25, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ordered China Telecom, China Unicom, and China Mobile to cease their fixed and mobile broadband services in the US.

Reuters reported that this decision comes as part of a net neutrality order that was also approved on April 25, which includes Chinese telecom firms Pacific Networks and its subsidiary ComNet. These companies are required to cease their operations within 60 days from the order’s effective date.

Reuters reports that China Telecom, China Unicom, and China Mobile were previously barred from offering telecommunications services in the U.S., which is in line with court decisions. However, FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel noted that there is solid evidence that these companies continued to provide broadband services within the country.

The FCC cited national security concerns, pointing out the potential for these Chinese telecom entities to be exploited, influenced, and controlled by the Chinese government.

Adding to the security concerns, FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks told Reuters that China Telecom’s operations include 26 Internet Points of Presence (POPs) across the U.S., which offer various services like colocation, broadband, and data center services. These POPs are critical as they interconnect with other networks at key data centers, presenting potential risks.

The FCC has been examining vulnerabilities in the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) crucial for the global routing system of the internet, since 2022. This is just the latest action to restrict Chinese Telecom providers in the US.