The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said Wednesday that it has begun the process of revocation of the authorization to provide national, interstate and international telecommunications services within the United States of China Unicom Americas, Pacific Networks and its subsidiary. wholly owned by ComNet.
The Chinese companies affected are China Unicom Americas, Pacific Networks and their wholly owned subsidiary ComNet.
In April, the FCC issued show-of-cause orders warning that it could shut down the US operations of three Chinese telecommunications companies controlled by the Chinese state: the two cited Wednesday and China Telecom Corp. Ltd. China Unicom Americas has a two-decade authorization to provide International Telecommunications Services in the United States.
The FCC opened a similar procedure in December to begin the revocation process of the authorization of China Telecom, the largest Chinese telecommunications company, which has been authorized to provide telecommunications services in the United States for almost 20 years.
FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks noted that many Chinese telecom operators “also have data centers that operate within the United States.” He said the FCC currently lacks the authority to “address this potential threat to national security.”
In May 2019, the FCC unanimously voted to deny another Chinese state-owned telecommunications company, China Mobile Ltd., the right to provide services in the United States, citing risks that the Chinese government could use the approval to perform espionage against the United States government.
