What the Chinese Network Equipment Ban Means for Your Business

The battle to ban Chinese network equipment and Chinese IT equipment is ongoing and not likely to be resolved quickly. As of the moment, there is a ban in place but it is being challenged by some states and the legal process can take years. So what does that mean for your business?

What Is Actually Banned?

U.S. companies are not allowed to use computer IT networking equipment made by firms that pose a national security risk; including Chinese manufacturer Huawei. There is a similar ban on telecommunications equipment and equipment that generates or stores power.

The concern is the close ties that companies like Huawei and ZTE have with the Chinese government and that the equipment could be used for spying or cyber attacks.

As of August 13th, 2020, Federal contractors have to comply with Part B of Section 889 of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act.

Eliminating the threat posed by this equipment is the highest priority. We cannot simply look at that issue, we need to make sure we are a loud voice across the globe for no government backdoors to any security network.

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committe

Replacing Banned Chinese Network Equipment

If you are using IT technology from Chinese companies, it would be a good idea to start looking at alternatives. The China-based companies currently under the ban are:

• Huawei
• ZTE
• Hytera
• Hikvision
• Dahua

Companies not under ban that make comparable IT equipment are (as of this writing):

• Microsoft (U.S.)
• IBM (U.S.)
• Oracle (U.S.)
• HP (U.S.)
• Cisco (U.S.)
• Juniper Networks (U.S.)
• Arista Networks (U.S.)
• TCS (India)
• Nokia (Finland)
• Samsung (South Korea)
• Ericsson (Sweden)

Be prepared for these products to cost much more than the Chinese ones. Start looking as soon as possible to give yourself enough time to compare options and find the best deal.

If you are a client, rest easy that your Intrust IT account manager and team know about your system needs and are already working to help you find alternatives if you need them. Not a client yet? Contact us or book an appointment to learn about our services.