A federal appeals court on Thursday declined China Telecom’s emergency bid to stop the FCC’s order revoking the company’s authority to provide telecom services in the United States. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District Columbia rejected the bid by the U.S. arm of China Telecom to stay the FCC order. The Commission’s decision takes effect in early January, pending a review of its legal challenge, reports Reuters.
China Telecom said it must notify U.S. customers of the decision by Saturday. Without a stay, the company said it, “will be forced to cease significant operations, irreparably harming its business, reputation, and relationships.”
The appeals court said it would issue a schedule to consider the legal arguments. But that is likely to take months, according to the account.
The carrier did not immediately comment. In October, the FCC ordered China Telecom U.S. to discontinue U.S. services by early January, saying it’s a national security threat due to the Chinese government’s influence, Inside Towers reported.
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