The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) unanimously voted on April 30 (pdf) to move forward with a proposal to comprehensively ban Chinese laboratories from providing testing services for electronic devices used in the United States. If implemented, the measure would affect the certification process for a large number of electronic products, including smartphones, cameras, and computers.
The FCC stated that currently about 75 percent of electronic products in the United States are tested in China. To address this, the commission plans to establish a more streamlined approval mechanism, prioritizing devices tested in laboratories located within the United States or in countries that do not pose national security risks, in order to reduce reliance on China’s testing system.
In another vote passed 3–0 on Thursday, the FCC also advanced a proposal to prohibit China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom from operating data centers in the United States, reported Reuters.
It may also further restrict U.S. telecommunications carriers from interconnecting with companies listed on its national security “covered list.” These three Chinese telecom companies had previously already been banned from conducting business in the United States.
In addition, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) stated that it is considering expanding the scope of restrictions, including prohibiting interconnection with companies that have data centers or access nodes at the U.S. Internet exchange points, and extending some restrictions to affiliated companies of those already listed.
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At the same time, the commission also plans to ban connections with telecommunications operators that use equipment from suppliers on the national security list, including Huawei and ZTE.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr pointed out that the commission is studying a series of measures “to secure our networks from these bad actors, including limiting their interconnection ability,” reported Reuters.
These new initiatives are being proposed against the broader backdrop of the United States continuously strengthening its technological restrictions on China. Reuters reported that earlier this month, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) had already proposed banning the import of equipment from Chinese manufacturers on its “covered list”; as early as 2022, the agency had stopped approving certification for new models of equipment from these companies.
In addition to the above measures, the FCC has in recent years continued to expand its regulatory scope. In October 2025, the agency revoked the U.S. operating authorization of Hong Kong’s major telecommunications operator HKT (a subsidiary of PCCW).
In December of the same year, it banned the import of all newly manufactured drones from China. In March 2026, it further prohibited the import of newly manufactured consumer-grade routers from China—key networking devices used to connect computers, smartphones, and various smart devices to the internet.
By Wang Li, Vision Times
