The Federal Communications Fee stated Thursday it’s investigating if the usage of Russian and Chinese language international satellite tv for pc methods by US cellphones and different units poses safety threats.

The FCC has considerations US handheld units are receiving and processing International Navigation Satellite tv for pc System (GNSS) alerts from satellites managed by international adversaries in violation of fee guidelines.

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The FCC is searching for solutions from handset producers Apple, Google, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung and others that collectively cowl over 90% of the US smartphone market.

The businesses didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.

“There is no such thing as a established report of what safety threats, if any, these alerts carry and whether or not the producers of handheld units are processing these alerts in violation of the Fee’s guidelines,” a FCC spokesperson stated.

Consultant Mike Gallagher, chair of the Home Choose China Committee, wrote FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel earlier this week elevating concern about experiences that U.S. cell telephones have been receiving and processing alerts from Chinese language and Russian satellites.

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The FCC has solely permitted U.S. telephones to receivers to obtain and course of alerts from the U.S. International Positioning System (GPS) and solely the European Galileo GNSS has been permitted. Gallagher stated U.S. units are receiving alerts from the PRC BeiDou and Russian GLONASS GNSS constellations. “Present occasions in Japanese Europe (together with vital Russian jamming and spoofing of GNSS alerts) name into query the knowledge of accepting this workaround and recommend it’s essential that the FCC implement its guidelines in opposition to utilizing unauthorized alerts from international satellites,” Gallagher stated.

Rosenworcel in 2018 raised considerations saying U.S. telephones have chips designed to function with world navigation satellite tv for pc methods of different international locations. “Many units in the USA are already working with international alerts,” she stated in 2018.

The FCC needs to know “whether or not their units are in compliance with FCC guidelines and what vulnerabilities” might exist in how they course of GNSS alerts.

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