Agencies ask FCC to revoke China Telecom’s license

Multiple Cabinet-level federal agencies on Thursday recommended that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) revoke authorizations for China Telecom, a state-owned company, to operate services to and from the U.S.

The departments of Justice, Homeland Security, Defense, State and Commerce identified national security and enforcement risks with the company’s activities that they claim make the “FCC authorizations inconsistent with the public interest.”

According to the agencies, China Telecom made inaccurate statements about where it stored its U.S. records, misrepresented its cybersecurity practices and is vulnerable to control by the Chinese Communist Party.

“Today, more than ever, the life of the nation and its people runs on our telecommunications networks,” John Demers, assistant attorney general for National Security, said in a statement.

“The security of our government and professional communications, as well as of our most private data, depends on our use of trusted partners from nations that share our values and our aspirations for humanity,” he added.

The pressure on the FCC to revoke China Telecom’s authorizations comes amid broader scrutiny of Chinese telecommunications companies operating in the U.S.