The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that they are revoking authorization for certain equipment. The companies affected by this are Huawei, ZTE, Hikvision, Hytera, and Dahua, which sells telecommunication and surveillance technology. According to reports, this may keep the products from being sold in the United States.
To What Extent is the Ban?
Well, it's not as drastic as people might think. It doesn't mean that all products are not going to be available in the US anymore. There are consumer products that will still be available for purchase. FCC did order network operators to replace their equipment provided that it came from Huawei and ZTE, but products are still being sold in the US regardless, as mentioned in The Verge.
The Commission has a list of communication equipment and services, that might pose a threat to the US's national security and its people. Among the companies on the list were AO Kaspersky, China Mobile International, China Telecom, and China Unicom Operations. Certain retailers like Best Buy and Home Depot have already ceased Dahua and Hikvisions security cameras, as they may be subjected to backlash regarding human rights violations.
FCC has a database that allows sellers to import mass quantities of a radio frequency product. Reports say that this is for the purpose of public safety, security of government facilities, physical security surveillance of equipment, and other national security performances.
FCC Statments
FCC released statements from several officials on their website. As FCC Chairwoman, Jessica Rosenworcel said that soon enough, these networks will connect things around us. It is also why they are planning for future security measures, so the networks today can withstand a possible cyberattack. She added that it was easy for threat actors to introduce malware via insecure networks.
She spoke about improving awareness about network vulnerabilities, threats, and breaches, for both the federal government and the private sector. Rosenworcel also stated that they took action to defend against threats and vulnerabilities identified through their work. It covers equipment like phones, cameras, and WiFi routers.
The FCC is committed to protecting national security, by making sure that untrustworthy communications equipment will not pass through the borders, as Chairwoman Rosenworcel said, and that the new rules would protect the American people from security threats that involve telecommunications.
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, said that it didn't make sense to allow the same products to be purchased and inserted in communication networks, once they determined that it posed a threat to national security. He added that there are no pieces of electronics or communications equipment that can be used in the US, if it's not approved by the FCC after going through the equipment authorization process.
Commissioner Geoffrey Starks noted that the ban will amend the authorization rules to remove loopholes, and increase the ability to enforce rules when a violation has been made. Carr stated that equipment from the covered list is still eligible to distribute, given that they go through the Supplier Declaration of Conformity process. This is to make sure that the equipment sold in the US is actually safe.
