The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) this week told Pacific Networks and ComNet (USA), both owned by CITIC Telecom International Holdings, that they would lose their licences within 60 days.
Now Tim Tian, CITIC Telecom’s president of general affairs, has told Capacity that “ComNet and Pacific Networks are disappointed with the FCC’s decision”.
He insisted in an email to Capacity that the two companies “have demonstrated a good record of regulatory compliance throughout their years of operation”.
However, the FCC disagrees. It said this week that it had “found that Pacific Networks and ComNet had failed to dispel serious concerns regarding their retention of their authority to provide telecommunications services in the United States”.
In his message to Capacity Tian said: “We will consider available options to protect our legitimate interests in the US.”
The FCC said this week that the two CITIC units must “discontinue any domestic or international services that they provide” within 60 days – which sets a deadline of 16 May.
The FCC’s removal of licences from CITIC’s two US companies follows similar action against China Telecom and China Unicom. In addition, the FCC refused to grant China Mobile a licence to provide services in the US.
