Legislation to further secure America’s 5G network from foreign espionage gets accepted by the Senate

We have been hearing about US lawmakers’ concerns with foreign network equipment makers, such as Huawei or ZTE, over allegations of espionage, for quite some time already. Now, the Senate has passed a bill requiring a review of the 5G network’s security, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The bill was passed unanimously on Wednesday. This shows the growing concern over national security online and especially, the worry over foreign network equipment companies using their manufacturer privileges to gain unauthorized access to Americans’ data. More specifically, it’s Huawei and ZTE that have received a lot of heat in the last couple of years. Huawei has repeatedly declined all the accusations of espionage and unlawful access to data.

Although Trump’s administration added Huawei to a trade black list and even advised allies against the use of Huawei’s equipment in 5G network construction, some US lawmakers are still concerned for the 5G network’s security in the States. Senator John Cornyn, who introduced the bill last year, underlined that as network technology advances, the US has to make sure to keep it secure from foreign interference.

The proposal, introduced in 2019, is called the “Secure 5G and Beyond Act”, and it still needs president Trump’s signature and House approval in order to become a law. The bill would require US government officials to come up with rules to secure 5G and future generation technology and infrastructure within a 180-day deadline. Those rules and policies will have to be provided to Congress, along with a list of trusted American and foreign suppliers.