\tHuawei urged the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to rethink its decision to bar operators from using government subsidies to buy its equipment, arguing such a step is not necessary to ensure national security.
\nThe plea came after the FCC unanimously approved an order [1] blocking operators from using an $8.5 billion pot of federal funds to purchase kit from companies deemed national security threats. Huawei and ZTE, whose equipment is primarily used by rural operators in the country, were the first two vendors named to the ban list. The measure also proposed a process for removing and replacing suspect kit already in use.<\/p>\n
In a statement to Mobile World Live, Huawei argued the commission\u2019s decision was \u201cunlawful\u201d and based on \u201cselective information, innuendo and mistaken assumptions\u201d that the company is subject to Chinese government control. It added the move would have \u201cprofound negative effects\u201d on rural connectivity in the country.<\/p>\n
Huawei insisted there are other paths the regulator could take: \u201cThe FCC is aware of best practices that could actually improve US network security without unlawfully and irrationally targeting Huawei.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, in a report issued just before the vote, Commissioner Geoffrey Starks argued \u201cno amount of mitigation will fully address the problem\u201d if a vendor is subject to Chinese government influence. He added during the FCC vote the cost to rip out and replace suspect equipment in US networks could surpass $2 billion.<\/p>\n
The gravity of the FCC\u2019s decision wasn\u2019t lost on Commissioner Michael O\u2019Rielly, who highlighted a series of reservations he had about the move. Specifically, he said he pressed for an appeals process for vendors on the ban list because blacklisted entities \u201cstand to lose significant business opportunities\u201d and “sometimes innocent companies can be implicated by mistake”.<\/p>\n
He also warned the move could come with costs beyond those to rip-and-replace suspect kit, noting the removal of suppliers from the market could force US operators to pay more for equipment.<\/p>\n[1] https:\/\/www.mobileworldlive.com\/featured-content\/top-three\/us-regulator-turns-screw-on-huawei-zte\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Huawei urged the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to rethink its decision to bar operators …<\/p>\n
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