The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted on May 22 to initiate a rulemaking process aimed at identifying entities operating in the U.S. communications sector that are under the ownership or control of foreign adversaries. The proposed framework would establish certification and information collection requirements, enabling the FCC to maintain an up-to-date registry of license and authorization holders with potential foreign influence.
This action builds on prior FCC initiatives, such as the Covered List of banned equipment and revocation of authorizations for companies tied to national security risks, including Huawei, ZTE, China Telecom, and China Mobile. The proposal would formalize how the FCC tracks and assesses foreign adversary involvement, filling gaps in current reporting practices that do not consistently account for indirect or layered control structures.
The rulemaking follows the recent establishment of the FCC’s Council for National Security by Chairman Brendan Carr, which coordinates cross-agency national security activities. Congressional momentum has also been building around this issue, with bipartisan legislation from both the House and Senate directing the FCC to publish a list of regulated entities linked to foreign adversaries. The Commission will now solicit public comment to determine the best path forward for implementing this directive.
- FCC initiates rulemaking to identify license holders under foreign adversary control
- Proposal would require certification and reporting of foreign ownership across the sector
- Builds on prior actions against Chinese telecom firms and equipment suppliers
- Aims to close information gaps and enhance transparency in national security oversight
- Aligns with bipartisan Congressional efforts to formalize adversary ownership disclosures
“We just voted to close a loophole in our equipment authorization process… We must identify risks before they can be exploited,” said FCC Chairman Brendan Carr.