Bill Reintroduced to Prevent “Digital Infrastructure Corruption”

SHARE THIS ARTICLE

U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-SD), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband, Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Deb Fischer (R-NE), and Mark Warner (D-VA) Wednesday reintroduced the Network Security Trade Act. If passed, the legislation would ensure U.S. communications infrastructure security is a clear negotiating objective of America’s trade policy.

“There is a lot of promise with new and advanced technologies like 5G, but the United States can only deliver on those promises if we maintain the security of communications networks, both at home and abroad,” said Thune. “This legislation would ensure that the security of the equipment and technology that create the global communications infrastructure is front and center in our trade negotiations, because you can’t have optimal free trade if the global digital infrastructure is compromised.”   

Fischer said the 5G transition represents a major opportunity for American businesses, but it also poses serious challenges for the country’s national security. “Many other countries have plans to deploy equipment made by China’s untrustworthy Huawei,” Fischer said. “This bipartisan legislation makes clear that our concerns about Beijing are serious, and that future trade negotiations must account for our national security.”

The Network Security Trade Act would amend the 2015 Trade Promotion Authority, which is in effect until July 1, 2021, to include a negotiating objective related to communications network security. While the bill does not name specific state-owned companies, like Huawei, it would direct the executive branch to ensure the equipment and technology used to create the global communications infrastructure are not compromised. 

It would achieve that goal by addressing barriers to communications network and supply chain security and unfair trade practices of state-owned or state-controlled telecom equipment suppliers in new trade agreements. Confronting these issues, which this legislation requires, is critical as the U.S. considers formal trade talks with the United Kingdom and other allies, note the lawmakers.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.