Protecting Against National Security Threats to the Communications Supply Chain Through the Equipment Authorization Program

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) amends its rules related to equipment authorization to further secure our communications networks and supply chain from equipment that poses an unacceptable risk to national security of the United States or the security and safety of United States persons. The Commission implements revisions to the equipment authorization program to prohibit authorization of equipment that has been identified on the Commission's Covered List--published pursuant the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019--as posing an unacceptable risk to national security of the United States or the security or safety of United States persons, and the Commission prohibits the marketing and importation of such equipment in the United States. The Commission also addresses what constitutes "covered" equipment for purposes of implementing the equipment authorization prohibition that the Commission is implementing. The actions being taken comply with Congress's directive in the secure Equipment Act of 2021 to prohibit authorization of "covered" equipment on the Covered List within one year of that Act's enactment and to lay the foundation to prohibit the authorization of any additional "covered" equipment that may be added to the Covered List based on a determination that such equipment poses an unacceptable risk to national security.