Appeals court upholds FCC subsidy ban for Huawei purchases

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal appeals court has refused to hear Chinese tech giant Huawei’s request to throw out a rule used to bar rural phone carriers on national security grounds from using government funds to purchase its equipment. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Federal Communications Commission was fully within its power and competence to issue the rule. It bars “Universal Service Fund” subsidies recipients from buying equipment or services from companies deemed national security risks. The court also dismissed the claim by Huawei Technologies Ltd that the FCC lacked the expertise to designate the company’s equipment as a security risk to U.S. telecommunications infrastructure.