The United States is moving to block major Chinese state-owned telecommunications carriers from gaining direct access to U.S. phone numbers and IP-enabled networks.
The US Federal Communications Commission ( FCC) said on Thursday October 29, that it will vote on November 19 on a proposal to ban China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom, and other IP-enabled service providers from direct access.
FCC leadership announced plans for a formal vote on the measure, which is designed to fortify national security defenses and curb illegal scam-related robocalls originating or routing through vulnerable channels.
This regulatory escalation follows profound Washington anxieties regarding state-backed cyberespionage campaigns—such as the “Salt Typhoon” infiltrations that targeted U.S. broadband and telecom infrastructure.
Alongside stripping direct numbering authorizations, the broader federal crackdown targets supply-chain risks, including barring Chinese testing laboratories from certifying U.S. electronics.
The agency added that it would ban all Chinese labs from testing US electronics in December 2028 and may also revoke direct number authorizations for Chinese companies that it deems to pose national security risks.
According to Reuters, concerns about the potential for spying and other harms to arise from Chinese access to US telecom data and infrastructure have grown in recent years.
Other measures under consideration include barring them from connecting to US networks and from operating their data centers in the US.
