FCC initiates process to ban Hong Kong Telecom in US
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The agency has previously barred China-linked communications providers from operating on American soil.
The Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday initiated a procedural step to ban Hong Kong Telecom from U.S. networks.
The agency’s Office of International Affairs, Wireline Competition Bureau and Enforcement Bureau sent an order to HKT and subsidiaries directing them “to explain why the FCC should not commence revocation proceedings against them,” an agency statement said.
The company is affiliated with China Unicom, which was previously banned from operating on American networks.
The step continues a long saga of FCC actions to jettison communications providers deemed risky to U.S. national security.
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“HKT is carefully reviewing the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC)’s Order to Show Cause issued to our company on 15 October 2025 to fully understand the situation. We will appropriately respond to the relevant authorities and are committed to doing our utmost to fulfill our responsibilities to all stakeholders," a HKT spokesperson told Nextgov/FCW.
“Today’s order continues the FCC’s work of ensuring that [Chinese Communist Party]-controlled entities that pose national security risks to our country cannot connect to our telecom networks,” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said in a statement.
In March, Carr said his agency was probing a group of Chinese providers that may still be operating in the U.S. despite prior restrictions being levied on them. China Unicom is among those companies.
Editor's note: This article has been updated to include comment from HKT.