In an order adopted in October 2021, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) revoked China Telecom (Americas) Corporation's authority to provide domestic and international telecommunications services in the United States. The company was given 60 days from the order's release on November 2, 2021, to discontinue those services.
The ruling was based in part on a recommendation from the Executive Branch, which raised national security concerns about China Telecom's continued presence in the United States. According to the FCC, China Telecom "is subject to exploitation, influence, and control by the Chinese government and is highly likely to be forced to comply with Chinese government requests without sufficient legal procedures subject to independent judicial oversight."
To help customers with the transition, the FCC said it would publish a consumer guide explaining the decision and the other options available to China Telecom Americas' mobile customers, in English, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese.
What does this mean for CN2/GIA users?
The order covers the services China Telecom Americas provided under its Section 214 authority, such as mobile (MVNO) service, international private leased circuits (IPLC), international Ethernet private lines (IEPL) and MPLS VPN service. China Telecom also operates network infrastructure in data centers across the United States, so the ruling could affect businesses that rely on its US services, including some CN2/GIA connectivity. Data center services aren't covered by Section 214, though, so not every China Telecom service in the US is affected.
Spin Servers anticipated this change and is ready to offer a reliable alternative to traditional CN2/GIA. From our San Jose, CA data center, we provide a stable, low-latency connection to Asia. Learn more in our post on CN2 GIA dedicated servers and a better alternative.
You can read the FCC's press release about the decision here: FCC Revokes China Telecom Americas' Authority to Provide Telecom Services in America (PDF).
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