In a push to crackdown on entities of national security concern, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has proposed new rules to bar those deemed untrustworthy from participating in the testing and certification of electronic devices in the United States.
The move kicked off with publication of a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking last week, as the federal regulator pushes to keep telecommunications certification bodies (TCBs) and measurement facilities involved in its equipment authorization program above board. That program determines what wireless devices can be marketed and imported to the United States.
If authorized, the change would permanently block any entities on the FCC’s Covered List from participating at any level.
As proposed, the rule would place a 10 percent threshold for any lab or TCB with direct or indirect ownership or control by any entity on the Covered List, coupled with a 5 percent reporting threshold. The proposal specifically sought public comment on whether and how the FCC should consider national security determinations made in other Executive Branch agency lists for similar eligibility requirements, though.
This follows a move earlier this month, in which the FCC sought formal input from nine federal partners on what to do about test labs with apparent ties to the Chinese government.