In its December meeting, the Commission took separate actions against two Communist Chinese telecommunications providers.
It affirmed an earlier decision to designate Huawei Technology Company as a national security threat. As such, “money from the FCC’s $8.3 billion a year Universal Service Fund may not be used to purchase, obtain, maintain, approve, improve, modify, or otherwise support any equipment or services produced or provided by Huawei.” Any questions?
The Commission further continued its efforts against China’s government-controlled communications providers by initiating a proceeding to terminate China Telecom (Americas) Corporation’s authority to provide products or services in the U.S. It cited an earlier Executive Branch recommendation to “revoke and terminate” its authorizations in the U.S. based on its “substantial and unacceptable national security and law enforcement risks.”
If this recommendation is approved, China Telecom will join Huawei and other Chinese telecom providers that have been banned from offering products and services here. It is very satisfying to realize that Universal Service Funds cannot be used to buy from companies that are controlled by Communist China — the source of our COVID-19 pandemic.
