China Telecom Broadband Service Ban
TikTok Ban Law Enforced Just One Day Ago
US-China Conflict in Digital Sector
Intensifying Situation
The U.S. government has banned broadband internet services from Chinese telecommunications companies within the United States. This comes just one day after the so-called 'TikTok Ban Act,' which requires ByteDance, the parent company of the Chinese short-form platform TikTok, to divest its U.S. operations, went into effect. China has responded by blocking the use of American applications such as WhatsApp, escalating the U.S.-China conflict into the digital realm.
According to foreign media including The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 25th (local time), the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decided to reclassify broadband internet services as services subject to Title II of the Communications Act. As a result, the FCC can now revoke licenses of foreign government-owned companies operating broadband networks in the U.S. on national security grounds.
The FCC stated that under Section 214 of the Communications Act, which regulates foreign telecommunications operators, operators without authorization to provide voice services must cease providing fixed and mobile broadband services within the United States.
This measure is interpreted as specifically targeting the ban on internet services from Chinese telecommunications companies. Previously, under Section 214 of the Communications Act, the FCC revoked the operating licenses of four Chinese government-owned telecommunications companies?China Telecom, China Unicom, China Mobile, and one other?in the U.S. Accordingly, these four companies must cease providing broadband internet services within the United States. Comnet, wholly funded by Pacific Networks, is also subject to this.
The FCC has confirmed that Chinese government-owned telecommunications operators not authorized in the U.S. must stop providing fixed and mobile broadband services within the country. FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel explained the background of this decision, stating, “(Despite license revocation) we have obtained evidence that Chinese telecommunications companies have continued to provide broadband services in the U.S.” However, it is expected to take several months before Chinese telecommunications companies fully cease broadband services in the U.S.
This is not the first time the FCC has imposed restrictions on Chinese companies’ operations in the U.S. for national security reasons. In 2022, the FCC amended regulations to completely ban the sale of products from Chinese telecommunications equipment companies Huawei and ZTE in the U.S.
The U.S.-China trade conflict is intensifying not only in semiconductors but also in the digital domain. On the 24th, a bill requiring ByteDance, the Chinese short-form platform TikTok’s parent company, to divest its U.S. operations within a maximum of one year was signed into law by President Joe Biden. TikTok is preparing for a legal battle. In response, China has recently taken retaliatory measures against the U.S., such as removing Meta Platforms’ WhatsApp and Threads from Apple’s China App Store.
Meanwhile, the FCC has restored net neutrality regulations that were repealed during the Donald Trump administration. Net neutrality means that telecommunications providers must offer the same data traffic to all internet access entities, including companies and individuals connecting to the network.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
