The Trump administration is reportedly preparing a new national security measure aimed at limiting Chinese telecom companies’ access to American phone numbers and disrupting scam-related robocalls.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is scheduled to vote Nov. 19 on a proposal that could block China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom and other internet-based providers from directly accessing U.S. phone numbers, Reuters reported on Thursday.
For telecom companies providing Voice over Internet Protocol, direct access is a cheaper option and makes it easier to offer advanced features, the report added. The agency said restricting that access would reinforce protections against illegal robocalls.
The agency may revoke existing direct-number authorizations for Chinese companies considered security risks, according to the report. The FCC has already prohibited the three named telecom providers from offering international telecommunications services to the U.S.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr told the publication that the decision would strengthen the agency’s "first line of defense" against "bad actors and illegal robocallers."
The FCC also intends to limit providers that use equipment from companies on its national security risk list, including Huawei and ZTE. Chinese laboratories could additionally be barred from testing U.S. electronics beginning in December 2028.
China’s foreign ministry said Friday that it firmly opposed the expected ban, accusing Washington of broadening national security justifications and using government authority to suppress Chinese companies.
FCC did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comments.
US Expands Scrutiny Of Chinese Tech
The proposal extends a broader U.S. effort to scrutinize Chinese-linked communications infrastructure.
Earlier this month, Washington was also considering restrictions on Chinese optical transceivers, components that move data through fiber-optic networks and support artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. Shares of Lumentum Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:LITE) and Coherent Corp. (NYSE:COHR) rose after reports of those potential measures.
In June, the FCC proposed tighter oversight of submarine cables, which carry about 99% of international internet traffic, creating more room for U.S. tech giants, including Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) and Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL), to expand networks.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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