The previous year in 2021, the Biden administration adopted the Secure Equipment Act into law, designed to stop access to network licenses from various Chinese companies whose equipment is considered a threat to national security.
Today the FCC has announced that they are officially implementing the decision that means futuristic equipment that comes from Huawei, ZTE, Hytera, Hikvision, and Dahua won’t be able to sell within the US. Existing equipment from these companies, including in the FCC’s “Covered List,” isn’t affected under the law.
These new regulations are a crucial component of our ongoing efforts to safeguard the American people from telecommunications-related dangers to national security said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.
To be clear, the FCC does not entirely block any hardware of these firms. For some, such as Hytera, Hikvision, and Dahua, Rosenworcel writes that the focus is on devices that serve “the purpose of public safety, security of government facilities and places, and physical surveillance of critical infrastructure.” Suppose these companies can prove that they’re not promoting the equipment for use by the government.
This latest decision comes after several years of conflict between the US and companies closely connected with Chinese governments. It has included putting several notable Chinese firms, including DJI, in the Commerce Department’s “Entity List,” which restricts US companies from selling products to these companies. It’s also a requirement for the FCC to ask for five billion dollars to assist US carriers in tackling the daunting job of replacing the equipment made by Huawei and ZTE.
