FCC Releases List Of Equipment & Services That Pose A Threat To U.S. National Security

March 13, 2021 – The FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau has officially published a list of communications equipment and services “that are deemed to pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States or the security and safety of United States persons.”[1]

This “Covered List” contains certain equipment or services produced by the following five Chinese companies: (1) Huawei Technologies Company, (2) ZTE Corporation, (3) Hytera Communications Corporation, (4) Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company, and (5) Dahua Technology Company.

The Covered List extends to the five entities’ subsidiaries and affiliates, and to “telecommunications or video surveillance services provided by such entities or using such equipment.”

Under Section 2(a) of the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019, the FCC was given a deadline of March 12, 2021, to publish the list.[2] The Secure Networks Act also prohibits the use of federal money, such as universal service fund support, to purchase equipment or services deemed to pose national security risks. Further, the Secure Networks Act created a reimbursement program for communications providers that rip out prohibited equipment or services and replace them with trustworthy gear.

Full details on the Covered List is included as an Appendix to the Bureau’s Public Notice, and the list will be online at www.fcc.gov/supplychain/coveredlist. The Covered List will be continually revised as the FCC and Bureau become aware of equipment or services that meet the Secure Networks Act’s national security threat criteria.

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[1] Public Safety And Homeland Security Bureau Announces Publication Of The List Of Equipment And Services Covered By Section 2 Of The Secure Networks Act, WC Docket No. 18-89, DA 21-309 (Mar. 12, 2021), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-21-309A1.pdf.

[2] 47 U.S. Code § 1601(a).