US moves to tighten restrictions on China Telecom amid security fears

Considering the high volume of transactions in the telecom industry, identifying a small number of targeted fraudulent operations can be extremely challenging.

The sustainability of the digital environment and ecosystem relies heavily on the trust it provides to its stakeholders. Services such as telecom, cloud, and routing may have visibility into the data they process, but it becomes a significant concern if the service provider is not trustworthy.

“Due to world trade agreements, it will be difficult to ban products from any specific country based on assumptions,” Varkey added. “Considering the indicators, ensuring due care and regulatory mandates on telecom network infrastructure and the governance practices they follow is essential.”

Effect of FCC’s actions

The FCC has taken steps to restrict companies like China Mobile and China Telecom from operating in the US due to national security concerns.

“However, there are still gaps that need to be addressed,” said Sanjaya Kumar, CEO of SureShield. “One significant gap is the lack of periodic review of existing authorizations. The FCC currently does not have a process for regularly reassessing the national security risks associated with carriers that already have authorization to operate in the US.”

This means that once a company is authorized, there is limited oversight unless the company seeks a modification, assignment, or transfer of control. Additionally, there are broader cybersecurity challenges that need to be tackled.