United States: What the FCC's decision on China Unicom Americas means for data centers
Feb 01, 2022 | Posted by MadalineDunn
The Federal Communications Commission has revoked China Unicom Americas’ operating license, citing national security risks, it has been announced. The vote was won 4-0, which means that within 60 days of the order’s publication, the company must cease all domestic interstate and international telecommunications services in the US.
A lawyer for the company has outlined that the decision was made without “any justifiable grounds and without affording the required due process.” However, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel stated that since the company obtained approval back in 2002, the national security landscape has “shifted” and there has been “mounting evidence - and with it, a growing concern - that Chinese state-owned carriers pose a real threat to the security of our telecommunications networks."
More broadly, the FCC made the determination that the carrier has demonstrated "a lack of candor, trustworthiness, and reliability that erodes the baseline level of trust that the Commission and other US government agencies require of telecommunications carriers."
That said, despite the decision to revoke its operating license, according to FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, the carrier is still permitted to offer data center services to American consumers. This is, however, something he recommended the FCC and Congress inspect further in order to determine it needed “broader authority” to address data center security concerns.
A lawyer for the company has outlined that the decision was made without “any justifiable grounds and without affording the required due process.” However, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel stated that since the company obtained approval back in 2002, the national security landscape has “shifted” and there has been “mounting evidence - and with it, a growing concern - that Chinese state-owned carriers pose a real threat to the security of our telecommunications networks."
More broadly, the FCC made the determination that the carrier has demonstrated "a lack of candor, trustworthiness, and reliability that erodes the baseline level of trust that the Commission and other US government agencies require of telecommunications carriers."
That said, despite the decision to revoke its operating license, according to FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, the carrier is still permitted to offer data center services to American consumers. This is, however, something he recommended the FCC and Congress inspect further in order to determine it needed “broader authority” to address data center security concerns.
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