US FCC to Vote Nov. 19 on Restricting Chinese Firms’ Access to Phone Numbers
Key Facts
The US Federal Communications Commission said it will vote on Nov. 19, 2026, on a proposal to bar China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom, along with other providers, from directly accessing US phone numbers. The measure remains a proposal under consideration, not an effective ban. The proposal also targets covered Voice over Internet Protocol providers, according to Reuters. The scheduled vote sets the next step in the regulatory process, while the available information contains no final decision on the matter. The commission says its stated rationales include national security and curbing fraud-related robocalls.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said the measure would strengthen "the first line of defense against bad actors and illegal robocallers." The proposal falls within the commission’s authority to regulate access to numbering resources, which its rules link to combating illegal calls, protecting national security and managing number resources. Existing rules require entities with direct access to use numbers lawfully and not to initiate, assist with or facilitate illegal robocalls. They also seek to prevent internet-based voice providers that engage in illegal calling or caller ID spoofing from accessing or retaining numbering resources. The commission says efforts to combat unwanted calls and messages also include enforcing the rules against violators.
The proposal’s scope extends to internet-based voice providers, targeting restrictions on their direct access to US numbers alongside the three Chinese companies. Direct access gives these providers a lower-cost option and makes it easier to offer advanced features, according to Reuters’ coverage. This makes numbering resources part of a discussion about the cost of providing service and the functions it enables, as well as the security considerations announced by the commission. The commission previously barred the three companies from providing international telecommunications services to the United States. It also denied or revoked permits for their affiliates in 2019, 2021 and 2022, including China Mobile International, China Telecom Americas and China Unicom Americas.
China’s foreign ministry opposed the proposal, saying the US move "seriously hinders normal economic and trade cooperation between Chinese and American companies." Beijing added that it would defend its rights and interests. The commission also plans to bar internet-based voice providers that use equipment made by companies listed on its national security risk list, including Huawei and ZTE. As part of its security restrictions, the commission said it would bar all Chinese laboratories from testing US electronics in December 2028. These measures come as US concerns persist about China’s access to communications data and infrastructure.
Fears of espionage and potential harm from access to US communications data and infrastructure have mounted in recent years. In late 2024, Washington said the China-backed "Salt Typhoon" group stole call records and communications data and hacked US telecom companies. This background provides security context for the rationales announced by the commission, without settling the outcome of the upcoming vote. In Hong Kong trading on Oct. 30, 2026, China Mobile shares closed at 80 and China Telecom shares at 4.51, according to EL7 data. The commission has set Nov. 19, 2026, as the date for a vote on the proposal.