The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) says it will issue an Order on Revocation and Termination that revokes China Telecom Americas Corp.’s authority to provide telecommunications services in the U.S. The China-based service provider will have 60 days to cease operations in the country after the order is issued, as the FCC found that the company failed to rebut charges that its operations posed a threat to national security.
![FCC pulls the plug on China Telecom Americas]( "FCC pulls the plug on China Telecom Americas")
The FCC said it was acting on a recommendation from the Executive Branch. The commission had launched a proceeding last December while Donald Trump was still President to allow the parties involved, including the Executive Branch and China Telecom Americas, to present arguments or evidence regarding the impact of the company’s activities in the U.S.
The grounds for the concern are similar to those cited in regards to Chinese technology supply companies such as Huawei and ZTE: that relations between the U.S. and China are strained and that alleged government ownership or influence on the company’s activities therefore present a security risk, including presenting the Chinese government with the ability to either eavesdrop on or disrupt communications. Further, the FCC said that China Telecom Americas had demonstrated what the commission termed “a lack of candor, trustworthiness, and reliability that erodes the baseline level of trust that the Commission and other U.S. government agencies require of telecommunications carriers.” The FCC further stated that China Telecom Americas had violated two of the five provisions set out in a 2007 Letter of Assurances with Executive Branch agencies and that the Executive Branch had supplied classified information that supported the commission’s decision.
The FCC has scrutinized the U.S. operations of several Chinese telecommunications services providers for some time, particularly during the Trump Administration. For example, the commission issued a 'show cause' notice to four such companies, including China Telecom Americas, in April 2020 that demanded they provide evidence that would persuade the FCC not to begin the process of revoking their domestic and international section authorizations to provide services in the U.S. (see 'FCC targets four Chinese operators with show cause notice, threatens U.S. operations').
Original link:
https://www.lightwaveonline.com/business/companies/article/14212876/fcc-pulls-the-plug-on-china-telecom-americas