FCC President Ajit Pai announced that he would refuse a request from the world's largest mobile operator to operate in the United States. China Mobile's request to provide cellular service from the United States will be the subject of a vote at the next public meeting of the commission on May 9.

China Mobile USA, a subsidiary of the state-owned company, filed its application in 2011 to provide global facilities-based telecommunications and resale between the United States and "all international points". However, regulators have long doubted that the intentions of the telcom are in the public interest. In July of last year, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, as well as other executive agencies, suggested to the FCC to reject the application. .

Pai's full statement on China Mobile reads as follows:

The protection of our communications networks is essential to our national security. Having examined the evidence presented in this proceeding, including information provided by other federal agencies, it is clear that China Mobile's request to provide telecommunications services in our country poses significant and serious risks to national security and law enforcement. Therefore, I do not think that approving it would be in the public interest. I hope that my colleagues will join me in voting for the rejection of China Mobile's application.

We contacted China Mobile to comment and will update this story if we heard it.

US intelligence and national security officials have raised the specter of China's growing influence on cybersecurity around the world. Washington is attacking ZTE for violating the penalties and Huawei on various charges of commercial and fraud offenses. It also discouraged international governments to allow the integration of Huawei 5G network equipment into their cellular networks.