The Senate Commerce Committee will hold a hearing next week on "5G Supply Chain Security: Threats and Solutions."
The committee will look at the integrity of that supply chain and the federal government's role in mitigating risks to telecommunications equipment in the transition to a 5G, IoT world.
Related: FCC Seeks Info on ZTE, Huawei
The federal government has already taken a number of steps, including 1) the Commerce Department decision to put Chinese telecoms (and 5G equipment supplier) ZTE and Huawei on a list of suspect companies that the U.S. should not be dealing with; 2) the FCC's decision to tentatively disallow the use of broadband subsidy funds for purchase of ZTE, Huawei equipment, and potentially from others identified as national security risks; and 3) legislation that prevents the use of government contract money for suspect tech.
Related: Suspect Tech Unwelcome in Government Contracts
Witnesses for the March 4 hearing, subject to change, are: Steven Berry, Competitive Carriers Association; Jason Boswell, Ericsson; Rick Corker, Nokia; and Dr. James Lewis, Center for Strategic and International Studies.
