FCC Proposes Ban on Chinese Telecoms to Stop Robocalls

The Federal Communications Commission plans to ban Chinese telecommunications firms from direct access to United States phone numbers to mitigate national security risks and combat scam-related robocalls. The agency will vote on November 19 on a proposal specifically targeting China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, and other IP-enabled service providers.

Beyond direct number access, the agency intends to bar providers that utilize equipment from security-risk companies such as Huawei and ZTE. The FCC also plans to prohibit all Chinese laboratories from testing U.S. electronics by December 2028. These measures follow reports from the Federal Bureau of Investigations regarding the Salt Typhoon cyber espionage group, which allegedly infiltrated U.S. telecom infrastructure to steal consumer call records.

Commissioners are considering additional restrictions on Chinese firms connecting to U.S. networks or operating domestic data centers. FCC Chair Brendan Carr stated that the decision will strengthen the first line of defense against bad actors and illegal robocallers.