The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) opened a probe on mobile devices in the U.S. that use signals from satellites that are controlled by foreign entities.
The ongoing investigation is yet to finalize whether the foreign satellites are violating federal rules or if they pose a security threat to the U.S.
FCC Looks for Possible Security Threat
The agency has reportedly been looking into device companies like Apple, Google, Samsung, and Nokia for several months. The American phones usually utilize the American satellite fleet.
However, the European Union's constellation called Galileo was authorized to be used for mobile phones in the U.S. Meanwhile, constellations from Russia and China have also established theirs but they have not been approved by the FCC.
"There is no established record of what security threats, if any, these signals carry and whether the manufacturers of handheld devices are processing these signals in violation of the commission's rules," the FCC wrote.
The agency has been checking with the manufacturers whether their devices are in compliance with the FCC rules. Certain vulnerabilities that could come from the received satellite signals are also investigated.
How Satellite Signals Pose Threats
According to satellite experts, foreign signals provide more accurate locations, especially in urban areas where the view of the sky is limited. For instance, Uber drivers and passengers will benefit from this solution since it gives them the quickest and most accurate navigation.
Location tracking is also one of the most common features of mobile phones which are more effective when there are more satellite signals, including those from foreign fleets. However, despite not getting approval, some devices have reportedly been receiving signals from China's BeiDou and Russia's Glonass constellations.
The FCC has acknowledged that some of the technology has gotten more advanced than the approval policies of the agency. Some government officials are also looking into the FCC to improve its rules against unauthorized signals from foreign satellites.
