[REVISION HISTORY]

US FCC expands bans on Chinese tech

Updated 12 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-07-29 15:00 UTC → 2026-07-29 17:43 UTC · added ~~removed~~

In late June 2026 the FCC set aside up to $3.3 billion from the AWS‑3 auction for a “Rip and Replace” program that reimburses carriers for removing Huawei and ZTE ~~equipment.~~ gear. On 27 June it imposed an import ban on Huawei, ZTE, Hytera, Hikvision and Dahua devices made after 2022 and older telecom and video‑surveillance ~~gear~~ equipment used in public‑safety, government and critical‑infrastructure settings. On 27 July the agency broadened its Covered List, adding advanced mobile robots – both humanoid and quadruped models from Chinese makers such as Unitree and UBTech – and network‑connected power inverters used in data centres and solar installations. The rule blocks import, sale and distribution of new models ~~that lack~~ lacking FCC authorisation; items already approved or previously purchased remain allowed under waivers or conditional ~~approvals. Federal~~ approvals, and federal procurement ~~of the affected products~~ is exempt. ~~The FCC reiterated the ban~~ Two days later, on 27 29 July, the FCC reaffirmed the addition of these robotics and inverter products, emphasizing that only future, non‑authorised versions ~~of the robots and inverters~~ are ~~prohibited, while existing authorized units may continue to be used.~~ prohibited. FCC Chair Brendan Carr ~~said~~ reiterated the ~~action protects~~ goal of protecting America’s critical supply chains from ~~espionage, remote‑control vulnerabilities and potential cyber‑attacks. Chinese officials – the embassy in Washington~~ espionage and ~~the foreign ministry –~~ cyber‑attack risks. Beijing condemned the measures as ~~politicising trade~~ protectionist and ~~protectionist, warning~~ warned of counter‑measures ahead of ~~a planned~~ the September U.S.–China ~~summit in September. The interconnection review continues, and Hikvision’s lawsuit challenging~~ summit. Analysts noted the ~~FCC’s authority proceeds.~~ bans could reshape supply chains for AI‑driven robotics, renewable‑energy inverters and data‑center equipment.

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