Foreign Corporations
Managing U.S. Wireless Networks Poses Major Risks to Security; Senators Ask FCC
to Identify Foreign Service Providers and Identify High-Risk Firms
Washington (October 20,
2021) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), with Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.),
Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Dick Durbin
(D-Ill.) asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to take action in
response to national security risks posed by foreign companies that manage and
service U.S. wireless phone networks.
Although
the U.S. government has responded forcefully to risks from Chinese hardware
manufacturers, including Huawei and ZTE, it has not yet accounted for risks
from foreign companies that operate or maintain U.S. networks. Indeed, there is
not even a comprehensive accounting of how many foreign companies provide such
services to U.S. networks
“It is a widespread practice in the
wireless industry, particularly among small rural carriers, to outsource the
installation and ongoing administration of networking technology to managed
service providers, some of which are based in foreign countries. Many of these
foreign service providers are subject to foreign surveillance laws, and as
such, could be forced to abuse their access to U.S. networks to help foreign
intelligence services spy on American subscribers,”
the senators wrote to Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.
A
copy of the letter can be found HERE.
Markey
and the other senators asked the FCC to identify foreign managed service
providers, and work with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence
and other agencies to identify high-risk firms that could threaten U.S.
national security.
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