Trump Administration Drafting Ban On Chinese Data Center Devices
Longtime Slashdot reader schwit1 shares a report from Reuters: The Federal Communications Commission, which oversees the U.S. telecom industry, is working on the measure to bar imports of new Chinese optical transceivers, which allow data to travel over fiber-optic cables at the speed of light within data centers. Officials hope to publish it this year, when it would take effect. The move, not…
The Federal Communications Commission is drafting a ban on the import of new Chinese optical transceivers for U.S. data centers, according to reports from Reuters. The aim is to prevent Chinese firms from potentially stealing data, installing malware, or disrupting services at U.S. data centers, which house critical components for AI model training and operation.
While the FCC has not yet announced the measure, officials anticipate publication this year, with the ban taking effect thereafter. The decision could be revised or abandoned, sources indicated, speaking anonymously to discuss confidential matters.
The proposed restriction would likely impact Chinese optical transceiver manufacturer Zhongji Innolight, which is among the largest global suppliers of such devices. Zhongji was recently added to the Pentagon's list of companies suspected of being backed by the Chinese military, a listing that could signal future punitive actions.
The ban could also increase expenses for American cloud service providers like Amazon Web Services, potentially compelling them to shift to alternative suppliers such as U.S.-based Coherent and Lumentum.
Written by urgent.news from Slashdot's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
