US bans China Telecom over national security concerns

WASHINGTON: The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Tuesday voted to revoke the authorization for China Telecom’s US subsidiary to operate in the United States, citing national security concerns.
The decision means China Telecom Americas must now discontinue US services within 60 days. China Telecom, the largest Chinese telecommunications company, has had authorization to provide telecommunications services for nearly 20 years in the United States.
The FCC found that China Telecom “is subject to exploitation, influence, and control by the Chinese government and is highly likely to be forced to comply with Chinese government requests without sufficient legal procedures subject to independent judicial oversight.”