China Telecom U.S. unit asks court to block U.S. FCC action

WASHINGTON: China Telecom Corp Ltd’s U.S. subsidiary asked a U.S. appeals court on Monday to block the decision of the Federal Communications Commission to revoke the telecommunication company’s authorization to operate in the United States.

China Telecom Americas was ordered on Oct. 26 by the FCC to discontinue U.S. services by early January after the U.S. regulator cited national security concerns.

The largest Chinese telecommunications company told the U.S. Appeals Court for the District of Columbia on Monday it must notify customers of the decision by Dec. 4 and said without a temporary halt to the FCC action, it “will be forced to cease significant operations, irreparably harming its business, reputation, and relationships.”