FCC Equipment Authorization Program – National Security & Prohibited Entities

Current understanding

To be populated as evidence accumulates.

Evidence log

• 2026-07-14 — Blocking CCP Spy Tech Act of 2026: House companion Blocking CCP Spy Tech Act of 2026 (HR9687) referred to House Energy & Commerce and Armed Services Committees, mirroring the Senate S4586 effort to restrict CCP-linked surveillance equipment and potentially layering onto the FCC prohibited-entity/covered-list framework. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-05-20 — Blocking CCP Spy Tech Act of 2026: Blocking CCP Spy Tech Act of 2026 (S4586) introduced in the Senate; if enacted, could layer additional restrictions on CCP-linked surveillance equipment atop the FCC covered-list/prohibited-entity framework. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-07-27 — Review of Submarine Cable Landing License Rules and Procedures To Assess Evolving National Security, Law Enforcement, Foreign Policy, and Trade Policy Risks: FCC Second FNPRM on submarine cable landing licenses proposes routine conditions targeting foreign-adversary risk, paralleling the prohibited-entity/covered-list framework used in equipment authorization by extending it to SLTE owners/operators. (novelty: 3)
• 2026-02-24 — ACERO Act: cross-connection with acero-act-wildfire-uas: Both restrict procurement/authorization of equipment from China-linked entities, applying the covered-entity framework to UAS acquisition for the NASA wildfire program. (novelty: 3)
• 2026-06-24 — ICTS Supply Chain Security Act of 2026: cross-connection with icts-supply-chain-security-act-2026: Parallel authorities restricting communications equipment from prohibited entities; FCC Section 2 covered-list overlaps with ICTS covered transactions. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-05-08 — Protecting Against National Security Threats in Domestic Telecommunications Service: FCC proposes parallel Covered List enforcement mechanism in section 214 domestic telecommunications authorizations (proposed rule), extending the same national-security prohibited-entity framework used in equipment authorization to carrier service authority. (novelty: 3)
• 2026-05-15 — Promoting the Integrity and Security of Telecommunications Certification Bodies, Measurement Facilities, and the Equipment Authorization Program: FCC final rule (2026-05-15) adopts fast-track review pathway for Trusted Test Labs, updates post-market surveillance procedures, establishes confidential reporting channels for national security threats, and consolidates prohibited-entity screening across the equipment authorization program. (novelty: 3)

Open questions

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