The US Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) has concluded “that all the following equipment and services should be added to the FCC’s Covered List because they pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States and to the safety and security of U.S. persons…. today’s decision does not impact a consumer’s ability to continue using drones they previously purchased or acquired. Nor does today’s decision prevent retailers from continuing to sell, import, or market device models approved earlier this year or previously through the FCC’s equipment authorization process. By operation of the FCC’s Covered List rules, the restrictions imposed by today’s decision apply to new device models.”
The US trade association AUVSI has welcomed the move.
According to Michael Robbins, President & CEO of AUVSI. “AUVSI applauds the FCC for placing Chinese drone companies DJI and Autel on the Covered List, fulfilling the will of Congress under the NDAA to protect U.S. national security. Multiple U.S. intelligence and security agencies have determined these PRC-made drones present risks that cannot be adequately mitigated.”
The association’s statement continued:
“In addition to the Covered List designation, the FCC’s Public Notice initiates a broader review of foreign-manufactured uncrewed aircraft systems and critical components to assess and mitigate national security risks across the UAS ecosystem….At the same time, any policy restricting the import of foreign-manufactured drones or components from allied nations must carefully balance security objectives with the operational, economic, and innovation risks created by overly broad or inflexible controls. A waiver system administered through the FCC and Department of War should be appropriately tailored, transparent, and scalable, ensuring it mitigates genuine security risk without unintentionally undermining domestic manufacturing, allied supply chains, or critical war fighting, public safety, and commercial operations.”
The list also comprises Huawei Technologies, ZTE, Hytera, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital, Dahua Technology, Kaspersky, China Mobile International, Pacific Networks.
“In a statement, DJI said FCC’s move not only limits the freedom of choice for US consumers and commercial users but also undermines the principles of an open and fair competitive market,” according to a report in China Daily. “The company stated that the safety and reliability of its products have been validated by the global market and many authoritative independent third-party organizations over the years, emphasizing that it “will evaluate all possible pathways and firmly protect the legitimate rights and interests of the company and our global users.”
(Image: DJI)
For more information
https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-updates-covered-list-add-certain-uas-and-uas-components
AUVSI President & CEO Michael Robbins on FCC Public Notice Regarding UAS and UAS Critical Components
