US agency calls on FCC to revoke China Telecom's operations in the United States

According to Reuters, the U.S. Department of Justice and other federal agencies asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to revoke the authorization of China Telecom's U.S. subsidiary to provide international telecommunications services to and from the United States.

As early as September last year, two US senators asked the FCC and national security agencies to review whether China Unicom and China Telecom, two telecommunications companies, should be allowed to operate in the United States.

Last May, the FCC rejected China Mobile's application to operate in the United States. Ajit Pai, the commission's chairman, said at the time that the Chinese government could use the carrier "to engage in activities that seriously undermine the national security, law enforcement, and economic interests of the United States."

But China Unicom and China Telecom retained the ability to operate in the U.S. Both companies were granted operating licenses by the FCC in the early 2000s, and some regulators have said they should be reviewed even though they are smaller than China Mobile.

Chinese telecom operators have come under intense scrutiny by U.S. agencies, including the Departments of Homeland Security, Defense, Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative, over concerns that China Telecom could be controlled or influenced by the Chinese government.

China Telecom did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The FCC also declined to comment.