President Biden signed legislation to prevent companies like Huawei Technologies or ZTE that are deemed security threats from receiving new equipment licenses from US regulators, reported Reuters.
The Secure Equipment Act, the latest effort by the US government to crack down on Chinese telecom and tech companies, was approved unanimously by the US Senate on Oct. 28 and earlier in the month bythe US House on a 420-4 vote.
The signing comes days before Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are expected to hold a virtual summit. Reuters reported the meeting is expected Monday, amid tensions over trade, human rights and military activities.
The new law requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to no longer review or approve any authorization application for equipment that poses an unacceptable risk to national security.
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said the commission has approved more than 3,000 applications from Huawei since 2018. The law “will help to ensure that insecure gear from companies like Huawei and ZTE can no longer be inserted into America’s communications networks,” Carr said.
In March, the FCC designated five Chinese companies as posing a threat to national security under a 2019 law aimed at protecting U.S. communications networks.
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