Research|Optics: FCC Curbs on Chinese Transceivers, US Vendors and Globalized Leaders Better Placed

According to Reuters, the U.S. government is drafting restrictions on new models of data-center optical transceivers from China, potentially to be implemented by the FCC through its equipment authorization and Covered List frameworks. However, no formal rule text has been released. It remains unclear whether a “Chinese optical transceiver” would be defined by place of manufacture, customs country of origin, place of incorporation, ownership and control, or the location and composition of its R&D and supply chain. The proposal could also be revised or shelved.

The FCC is the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. Traditionally, it has been responsible for the technical authorization of communications and radio-frequency electronic equipment. In recent years, however, the FCC has increasingly used the equipment authorization framework to advance national security and supply chain objectives. The issue should therefore not be reduced to the proposition that “test reports issued by laboratories in China will no longer be accepted.” Laboratory policies primarily affect where testing and certification take place, whereas the Covered List and related measures could directly affect whether new models may enter the U.S. market.

FCC 26-50, which has already been released, primarily closes a loophole through which components from entities on the Covered List could enter the United States embedded in third-party end products. It does not amount to a comprehensive ban on all Chinese optical transceivers. The specific implementation criteria for measures targeting Chinese optical transceivers will remain uncertain until formal documentation is released.

A Preliminary Research Hypothesis

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