US Tightens Ban on Chinese Telecom Gear

The United States will expand its ban on imports of telecommunications and surveillance equipment from several Chinese manufacturers. The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that, starting in early July, it will no longer be possible to import even older models of equipment from Huawei, ZTE, Hytera, Hikvision and Dahua intended for use in public safety, government buildings or critical infrastructure.

The previous ban, dating from 2022, applied only to new models introduced to the market after its adoption. According to the FCC, expanding the measure is necessary to protect national security and reduce risks to the US communications sector. The agency also emphasized that the ban does not apply to devices already owned by Americans.

In recent years, Washington has been tightening restrictions on Chinese technology companies. Last year, it banned the import of new models of Chinese drones, and this year, it also banned new models of domestic internet routers.

The FCC is also considering a further measure that would prohibit US telecommunications operators from interconnecting their networks with Chinese telecommunications companies. This would effectively prevent them from operating in US data centers.

(Reuters, lud)