US gives 60-day notice to China's biggest telecom companies

The US Federal Communications Commission ( FCC ) is reportedly flexing its muscle on national security grounds, ordering Chinese telecom giants to stop operations in the country. According to Reuters report, the FCC said that it is ordering the US units of China Telecom , China Unicom and China Mobile to discontinue fixed or mobile broadband internet operations in the United States.

These Chinese companies have reportedly been asked to discontinue fixed and mobile broadband internet services within 60 days.

Names of Chinese companies to be 'banned'
China Telecom, China Unicom, China Mobile, Pacific Networks, and ComNet (US subsidiary of Pacific Networks)

Reason for the Ban
National security concerns. The FCC alleges these companies are vulnerable to exploitation by the Chinese government. The FCC claims to have evidence that these Chinese carriers were still offering broadband services despite prior restrictions. Chair Jessica Rosenworcel emphasized concerns about Chinese access to critical internet infrastructure like Points of Presence (POPs) located in US data centers. Commissioner Geoffrey Starks further highlighted potential vulnerabilities in the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), a core component of internet routing.

Not the first ban for Chinese telecom companies in the US
The FCC has a history of restricting Chinese telecom involvement. It previously blocked them from providing other telecom services and barred equipment approvals from Huawei, ZTE, and others. The FCC previously barred approvals of Huawei Technologies and ZTE and other companies saying they pose "an unacceptable risk" to the US national security.

This move comes amidst broader US efforts to limit Chinese involvement in its telecommunications infrastructure, citing national security risks.