The US Commerce Department and FBI are investigating Baicells Technologies, a Chinese company by former Huawei executives. According to a Reuters report, the commerce department is looking into the company for national security reasons and has sent legal requests (subpoenas) to it. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is helping with the investigation.
Baicells was founded in 2014 by former Huawei executives. The company started its US business in Wisconsin in 2015. It has supplied telecom equipment to mobile networks across all US states.
What are US concerns
The US government is concerned that Chinese-made equipment could allow hackers to access sensitive data, disrupt services, or carry out cyberattacks. Baicells sells routers and base stations in the US, which help provide internet and mobile networks.
Although there’s no evidence that Baicells equipment has been misused, experts warn it’s still risky, says the report.
In 2023, the FBI warned Las Vegas officials about Baicells' base stations, leading the city to cancel its contract with the company. The FBI has also raised concerns in other areas, such as Virginia, where Baicells equipment was used near a naval weapons testing site. The US cybersecurity agency CISA has also issued warnings about vulnerabilities in Baicells equipment that could allow hackers to take control of devices.
These investigations show that the U.S. remains worried about Chinese telecom equipment being used for spying, even after cracking down on other Chinese companies like Huawei and ZTE.
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