Washington, October 30, 2026 (Nosheen): The United States is planning to restrict Chinese telecommunications companies from directly accessing US phone numbers, citing national security concerns and the need to prevent illegal robocalls and potential cyber threats. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced on Thursday that it will vote on November 19 on a proposal that could block China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom and other internet-based service providers from obtaining direct access to US phone numbers. The move targets services that use Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, which converts voice communications into digital data and transmits them over broadband networks. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said the proposal would strengthen the country’s first line of defence against malicious actors and illegal robocallers. The Chinese Embassy did not immediately comment on the announcement. The FCC also plans to restrict internet-based service providers that use equipment manufactured by companies identified as national security risks, including Huawei and ZTE.
In addition, the commission intends to bar Chinese laboratories from testing US electronic products starting in December 2028 and could revoke direct phone-number access authorisations granted to Chinese companies considered security threats. The United States has previously prohibited China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom from providing international telecommunications services in the country. Concerns in Washington have also grown over alleged Chinese espionage and the potential misuse of US telecommunications data and infrastructure. In late 2024, US officials accused the China-linked cyber espionage group Salt Typhoon of stealing call records, accessing telephone data and infiltrating American telecommunications networks. The FBI has warned this year that the threat posed by Salt Typhoon remains ongoing. China has repeatedly rejected the allegations and denied involvement in any wrongdoing.30