The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a stark ultimatum on Monday that could effectively silence calls from three major Chinese telecom companies. Regulators have threatened to scrub China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom from the American telephone infrastructure entirely.
This directive marks a severe escalation in the geopolitical friction between Washington and Beijing. Consequently, these state-backed firms now face the prospect of a total disconnection from US networks.
The Robocall Database as a Gatekeeper
Technically, the FCC’s order focuses on the agency’s “robocall mitigation database.” The commission has demanded that these entities immediately resolve certification discrepancies found within the registry.
However, the penalty for administrative failure is operational exile.
Participation in this database is not optional. It is a mandatory requirement for routing calls through the United States. If the FCC expels these Chinese telecom companies, the legal ramifications for American carriers are immediate.
Domestic voice providers and intermediate carriers would be prohibited from accepting traffic from the expelled firms. Essentially, the connection would go dead.
National Security Drives the Deadline
While the official order cites protocols designed to stop spam calls, the underlying motive is clearly national defense.
Regulators explicitly warned that simply correcting paperwork errors may not suffice. The agency retains the authority to remove carriers based solely on security risks. To maintain access, these firms must demonstrate that their participation “is not a threat to national security and is in the public interest.”
The FCC has set a rigid timeline. The targeted companies have only two weeks to present evidence and fix the certification issues.
A Decade of Decoupling
This ultimatum is the latest step in a systematic effort to limit the reach of Chinese telecom companies. The FCC has already revoked the operating licenses for these specific firms within US borders.
The regulatory crackdown has unfolded over several years:
-
2019: Regulators denied China Mobile’s application due to security concerns.
-
2021: The FCC revoked authorizations for Pacific Networks and China Unicom.
-
2022: China Telecom Americas was stripped of its operating authority.
Therefore, while these firms already lack a domestic footprint, this new measure targets their ability to interconnect with American networks from overseas.
Widening the Net
The scrutiny extends beyond the three giants named on Monday.
In October, the FCC initiated proceedings to revoke operating rights for HKT, a prominent Hong Kong carrier. Furthermore, the agency is investigating nine other entities, including infrastructure heavyweights Huawei and ZTE.
Additionally, regulators recently withdrew federal recognition for equipment test labs controlled by the Chinese government.
As of Monday evening, the Chinese embassy in Washington remained silent regarding this latest regulatory threat.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
EU Regulators Greenlight Meta’s Revised Pay-or-Consent Model
