Section 214 Authority and Covered List Exclusion

Current understanding

The FCC is proposing to exclude entities on its national-security Covered List from the blanket domestic section 214 authority that generally permits carriers to provide interstate telecommunications services. If adopted, Covered List entities would lose the presumptive authorization to operate as domestic interstate carriers, extending the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act framework from equipment and international 214 authority into the domestic service layer. Status: proposed rule.

Evidence log

• 2026-05-20 — Blocking CCP Spy Tech Act of 2026: cross-connection with blocking-ccp-spy-tech-act-2026: Both target restrictions on Chinese-linked telecom/technology entities; the bill could reinforce or expand Covered List and Section 214 exclusion mechanisms. (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: cross-connection with submarine-cable-landing-licenses: Both regimes layer national-security review onto FCC authorizations for communications infrastructure involving foreign ownership or covered entities. (novelty: 3)
• 2026-05-08 — Protecting Against National Security Threats in Domestic Telecommunications Service: cross-connection with fcc-equipment-authorization-national-security: Both use the FCC’s Covered List as the operative trigger — one for equipment certification eligibility, the other for domestic service provision authority — creating a converging national-security enforcement stack. (novelty: 3)

Open questions

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