US Senate passes bill to ban use of federal funds to purchase Huawei and ZTE equipment

According to foreign media the Hill, on Thursday local time, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved legislation that will ban the use of federal funds to purchase telecommunications equipment from Huawei, ZTE and other companies that are considered to pose a national security threat to the United States.

Earlier, Reuters reported that the Federal Communications Commission told U.S. telecom companies that they must report detailed information about their use of equipment from Huawei and ZTE.

Once this plan is passed, more companies will be banned from purchasing equipment from Huawei and ZTE.

In fact, the U.S. House of Representatives had passed this plan as early as December last year, and the passage of the Senate indicates that the bill may be implemented soon.

In a joint statement on Thursday, the House of Representatives also stressed that the United States' wireless networks should be free from malicious security interference, and that the technology in Huawei's networks poses a threat to both the United States' national and regional economic security.

Roger Wicker, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over the bill, said the legislation would provide protection for America's communications networks.

The article points out that if this plan is eventually signed into law by Trump, it will have a significant impact on US telecom providers. The Rural Wireless Association estimated in a filing to the FCC in 2018 that approximately 25% of its member companies use equipment from Huawei or ZTE.

A Huawei spokesman said on Thursday that the legislation would only harm local consumers and businesses by reducing the ability of broadband providers to offer the most secure network equipment.