The United States has initiated trade sanctions against Huawei in an effort to hinder the company's access to advanced chip-building equipment and technologies. Reports suggest that Huawei is actively working on developing its own tools and technologies for chip-building to address the chip supply challenges and establish a self-reliant chip network.
FCC's Focus on Test Labs and Certification Bodies
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is now directing its attention towards preventing Huawei, ZTE, and other foreign companies identified as potential threats to the United States from exerting influence over the telecommunications certification bodies and test labs responsible for certifying wireless devices destined for the US.
The FCC is reportedly set to vote on a bipartisan proposal this month to safeguard against such scenarios. The proposal aims to restrict Huawei and other entities listed by the FCC from participating in the equipment authorization program.
FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel emphasized the importance of ensuring that the equipment authorization program and its administrators can effectively address the ongoing security and supply chain threats.
Huawei's status as an accredited lab in the US expired recently, with the FCC rejecting the lab's request for an extension. The FCC has also prohibited the approval of new telecommunications equipment from Huawei, ZTE, Hytera Communications, and select other Chinese companies.
In 2019, Huawei and Hikvision were added to a US export control list, limiting most US suppliers from engaging in business with them without proper licenses. Furthermore, in 2020, the FCC categorized Huawei and ZTE as threats to national security in communications networks, thereby preventing US companies from accessing an $8.3 billion government fund for procuring equipment from these entities.
The primary objective behind these actions, as highlighted by FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, is to guarantee that the test labs and certification bodies responsible for reviewing electronic devices for compliance with FCC standards are reliable entities that the FCC can depend on.
