By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, May 12 (Reuters) – The U.S. Federal Communications Commission said on Tuesday it will allow Chinese drones and consumer routers sold in the United States to get critical software updates at least through the end of 2028.
The FCC in recent months banned the import of new models of Chinese drones and routers as Washington has cracked down on Chinese tech companies for reasons of national security, fearing cyber intrusions.
But it continues to allow previously approved versions to be imported and sold. The FCC said it is allowing software and firmware updates that address harm to U.S. consumers.
Consumer routers are boxes connecting computers, phones, and smart devices to the internet. The FCC said the change will ensure U.S. consumers receive “all software and firmware updates to ensure the continued functionality of the devices, such as those that patch vulnerabilities and facilitate compatibility with different operating systems.”
The FCC is separately considering whether to ban the import of Chinese equipment from a group of manufacturers after previously barring the import or sale of their new models in 2022.
The ban would add telecommunications and video surveillance equipment made by Huawei, ZTE, Hytera, Hikvision and Dahua to the FCC’s so-called “Covered List” of companies posing U.S. national security risks. Hikvision has filed suit to block the plan.
The proposal would not include banning previously approved Chinese drones or routers.
On April 30, the FCC voted to advance a proposal to bar all Chinese labs from testing electronic devices such as smartphones, cameras and computers for use in the United States. The FCC says about 75% of all U.S. electronics are tested in China.
The FCC also voted to advance a proposal to bar China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom from operating data centers in the U.S. and could ban telecom carriers from interconnecting with companies deemed security threats.
The FCC is also considering barring interconnection with companies that own data centers or points of presence at U.S. internet exchange points, extending restrictions to some affiliates of listed firms, and prohibiting interconnection with carriers using equipment from suppliers on the “Covered List”.
(Reporting by David Shepardson)
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