Outgoing US FCC Chairman warns of threats to telecommunications from China



[ad_1]

Outgoing US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai said potential Chinese espionage and threats to US telecommunications networks and internet freedom are the biggest national security concern that regulators will face over the next four years.

Ajit Pai told Reuters in an interview that there was a “wide range” of activity from China that was of concern, including surveillance, economic espionage and the potential injection of malware into networks. here in the United States or around the world. number of bad things that can happen when unsecured equipment is used to process sensitive information. “

GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE ROAD BY CLICKING HERE

Pai was appointed president in January 2017 by former President Donald Trump and resigned on Wednesday. During his tenure, the FCC cracked down on Chinese network makers like Huawei and ZTE.

Last month, the FCC began the process to revoke China Telecom’s authorization to operate in the United States. China Telecom is China’s largest telecommunications company.

“The Chinese Communist Party has a very determined worldview. They want to dominate this space and exercise their will – even beyond their own borders,” Pai said Tuesday. “This is a serious threat not only to internet freedom, but also to national security for us and for many of our allies.”

TWITTER LOCKS ACCOUNT OF THE UNITED STATES OF CHINA EMBASSY FOR THE XINJIANG-RELATED TWEET

China’s Foreign Ministry said in December that US claims about national security risks were false.

The FCC first warned in April that it could end the U.S. operations of three state-controlled Chinese telecommunications companies, including China Telecom.

In 2019, the FCC voted to deny state-owned China Mobile the right to provide telecommunications services in the United States, citing risks that the Chinese government could use the approval to conduct espionage.

JACK MA D’ALIBABA MAKES LIVE FIRST APPEARANCE IN THREE MONTHS ONLINE

Under Pai, the FCC officially named Huawei and ZTE Corp in China as national security threats, preventing U.S. companies from tapping into an $ 8.3 billion government fund to buy equipment from companies. Congress approved $ 1.9 billion in December to pay for the replacement of Chinese-made equipment in U.S. grids.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT FOX BUSINESS

In April, the FCC approved a request by Google’s Alphabet unit to use part of an undersea telecommunications cable between the United States and Asia, but not to Hong Kong, after the agencies Americans have raised national security concerns.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by David Gregorio)

[ad_2]

Source link