The Secure Equipment Act would prohibit the FCC from considering or authorising use of products from companies deemed a threat and included on its 'covered list' (which it is required to maintain under the 2019 Secure and Trusted Communications Network Act).
Companies on the list include Chinese telecoms giants Huawei and ZTE, which were formally designated national security threats by US authorities last year. In March, three further Chinese companies were added to the list: Hytera, Hangzhou Hikvision, and Zhejiang Dahua.
The bill was sponsored in the Senate by Republican Mario Rubio, who is vice-chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Democrat Ed Markey. Both issued statements welcoming the approval of the act by their peers.
“China’s state-directed companies like Huawei and ZTE are known national security threats and have no place in our telecommunications network,” said Rubio. “I am grateful that the Senate and House passed this bill...