US to Block Chinese Telecoms from Phone Number Access
The United States is set to implement a ban on Chinese telecom firms from having direct access to US phone numbers, citing national security concerns. This initiative aims to mitigate the prevalence of scam-related robocalls. The US Federal Communications Commission announced on Thursday that it will hold a vote on November 19 regarding a proposal to prohibit China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, and other IP-enabled service providers from obtaining direct access. For telecom firms providing Voice over Internet Protocol-technology that converts voice into digital data and transmits it over broadband connections-direct access represents a significantly more economical alternative and facilitates the delivery of advanced features.
“With this decision, the FCC will be strengthening our first line of defence against bad actors and illegal robocallers,” FCC Chair Brendan Carr said in a statement. The FCC announced on Thursday its intention to prohibit IP-enabled service providers from utilising equipment sourced from companies identified on its list as posing national security risks, which includes Huawei and ZTE. The agency indicated that it would prohibit all Chinese laboratories from conducting tests on US electronics by December 2028 and may additionally rescind direct number authorisations for Chinese firms identified as potential national security threats.
The FCC has previously prohibited China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom from offering international telecommunications services to the United States. Other measures under consideration include prohibiting them from connecting to US networks and from operating their data centers within the United States. Concerns regarding the potential for espionage and other detrimental effects stemming from Chinese access to US telecommunications data and infrastructure have intensified in recent years. In late 2024, Washington reported that a Chinese state-sponsored cyber espionage group identified as Salt Typhoon had compromised consumers’ call records, US call data, and gained access to US telecommunications and telecom infrastructure firms.
The FBI stated this year that threats from Salt Typhoon are “still very much ongoing.” In July, the FCC included California-based Digitalsystem Technology on a list of entities deemed to pose risks to US national security, referencing its connections to Chinese telecommunications companies and its ownership by a Chinese national. China has persistently refuted allegations of any misconduct.
