Congressional Hearing: Global Networks at Risk: Securing American Leadership in Wireless Technology

On Wednesday, April 30th, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology held a hearing titled, “Global Networks at Risk: Securing American Leadership in Wireless Technology.” TIA’s CEO Dave Stehlin was invited to testify on security risks to global ICT infrastructure, including national security vulnerabilities from CCP sponsored entities and risks to subsea cables. Also testifying before the committee was Tom Stroup, President, Satellite Industry Association; Jamil Jaffer, Founder and Executive Director, National Security Institute; and Laura Galante, Former Intelligence Community Cyber Executive and Director, Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center, Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). Discussion during the hearing focused on supply chain security, cybersecurity standards and regulations, satellites and undersea cables.  Below, please find a summary the hearing, including the Q&A portions separated by topic.

Member Opening Statements

Subcommittee Chairman Richard Hudson (R-NC) said communications networks are central to national defense and stressed the importance of secure, resilient and protected networks and equipment. He said the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has invested heavily in developing insecure communications equipment that poses a direct threat to the United States. Chairman Hudson referenced the Salt Typhoon attack as the largest Chinese-backed telecommunications hack in U.S. history and emphasized that there has been an increasing number of physical attacks on U.S. telecommunications infrastructure, such as undersea cables. He expressed support for the review of foreign investment in U.S. networks by Team Telecom and added that the United States must find ways to address national security threats without hindering deployment. Chairman Hudson said satellites provide mission-critical services but stressed that regulations have not kept pace with growth in the industry. Subcommittee Ranking Member Doris Matsui (D-CA) said the United States is moving backward because the Trump administration won’t admit to national security failures. She said bad actors are ready to take advantage of the Trump administration and referenced cuts to the cybersecurity workforce, particularly the Cyber Safety Review Board. Ranking Member Matsui urged completion of the Rip and Replace program, expressed her support for OpenRAN technologies and highlighted her bill, the FUTURE Networks Act, which will focus on developing next-generation technologies.

Full Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-KY) said China, Russia, North Korea and Iran engage directly in activities infiltrating U.S. critical infrastructure, including communications networks. He said they steal sensitive data and stand to gain information from businesses and the government as they establish footholds. Chairman Guthrie said satellite services are increasingly being provided to close the digital divide, but cautioned that foreign adversaries are developing anti-satellite capabilities that could cause serious disruptions. He also expressed support for the promotion of OpenRAN technologies. Full Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-NJ) said Salt Typhoon engaged in cyber espionage backed by the Chinese government and infiltrated several telecommunications networks. He said it is disturbing to watch the Trump administration mishandle national security information and claimed they do not take these threats seriously. Ranking Member Pallone expressed discontent that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has access to U.S. data and claimed that the back and forth on tariffs for telecommunications equipment has caused chaos and confusion. He urged the use of spectrum auction proceeds to fund Next-Generation 911 and said the Trump administration must stop delaying funding from the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program.

Key Themes

• National Security: Chairman Hudson asked why the security of communications networks is essential to protect national security. Jaffer said telecommunications infrastructure is the backbone on which everything else runs. Stehlin advocated for a public-private connection to address this issue since everything uses ICT networks and is fundamentally based on the same set of technologies and architectures. Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) asked why the average American should be concerned about Salt Typhoon. Jaffer said the Chinese deeply infiltrated telecommunications networks and had massive amounts of metadata. He said the U.S. government has not responded to this threat or been held accountable for their failures. Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-CA) asked what level of intelligence gathering makes something unfriendly. Galante said one of the key distinctions is the level of access.

• Manufacturing and Supply Chain Security: Chairman Hudson asked what policy actions are necessary to ensure communications infrastructure can meet increasing demands without sacrificing supply chain security. Stehlin stressed the importance of reshoring and said active components that makeup ICT networks include semiconductors that are not primarily made in the United States. He said the entire semiconductor ecosystem needs to be moved back to the United States. Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL) asked how to improve U.S. manufacturing capabilities. Stehlin said reshoring is a strategic, multi-decade effort. Rep. Soto asked how tariffs are impacting the ability to reshore the manufacturing of telecommunications equipment. Stehlin said tariffs will only raise prices. He said it makes sense to find ways to bring back manufacturing to the United States but if prices are higher fewer networks will get built. Rep. Nannette Diaz Barragán (D-CA) asked what would occur if the CHIPS and Science Act were repealed. Stehlin said it would not be good to repeal the CHIPS and Science Act because more capital investment is needed in the United States. Chairman Guthrie asked what the United States should do to protect supply chains. Jaffer advocated for a global response to removing equipment from Huawei and ZTE. Rep. Tom Kean (R-NJ) asked how to make the United States an attractive place for vendors. Stehlin said the United States should reward trust and investment while pointing out those who are not trusted. Rep. Russel Fry (R-SC) asked what specific areas relating to supply chain security are most concerning. Stehlin identified the lack of strategic investment in the U.S. ICT space and the lack of overall R&D investment as the most concerning.

• Standards and Regulations: Ranking Member Matsui asked how voluntary measures instill trust in technologies. Galante said the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark provides a shorthand for the consumer to identify the product as having a security management framework behind it. Ranking Member Matsui asked how TIA’s SCS 9001 can ensure communications infrastructure is resilient. Stehlin said SCS 9001 looks at the vendor, supplier, hardware and software of a product. He said it also examines whether the open-source software is coming from a trusted organization. Ranking Member Pallone asked what type of security capabilities should be built into telecommunications networks. Galante said telecommunications networks are complex and require advanced security programs. She identified the time to detect malicious activity and respond as the most important consideration for security programs. Stehlin stressed the importance of examining the entire vendor base and increasing U.S. investment in R&D. Jaffer said the U.S. government should partner with the private sector. Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH) asked how to make routers built in the United States a better choice. Stehlin advocated for eliminating bad choices from the market and evaluating companies and their products quickly. Rep. Dingell asked what Congress should do to ensure U.S. leadership in telecommunications network equipment. Stehlin expressed support for R&D tax credits to increase investment in the United States. Rep. John Joyce (R-PA) asked how to evaluate the readiness of current telecommunications systems against bad actors. Jaffer said the United States is ill-prepared and has vulnerable telecommunications infrastructure. Rep. Bilirakis asked what elements a product must show to receive SCS 9001 certification. Stehlin said the benefits are tremendous as it verifies trust in the product, hardware, software and company. He said continuous improvement is used to constantly upgrade the process. Rep. Rob Menendez (D-NJ) asked if a public-private security system is essential. Jaffer said yes. Rep. Russ Fulcher (R-ID) asked about protecting rural America. Stehlin said Idaho can take advantage of Rip and Replace funds, in addition to money from the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY) asked how the implementation and expansion of the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark could address the risk to communications networks. Galante said the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark on Internet of Things (IoT) devices is an important baseline for consumers. Rep. Kean asked what safeguards exist against a previously trusted vendor who becomes compromised. Stehlin advocated for continuous verification of trust.

• Satellites: Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL) asked whether the tax-exempt bonding rights for spaceports can help secure U.S. leadership in space and space infrastructure. Stroup said the satellite industry is dependent on spaceports and increased access would be beneficial. Rep. Soto asked about the advantages of satellites against cyberattacks. Stroup said one of the strengths is the number of companies providing services and the ability to provide service from multiple satellites. Rep. Latta asked if satellites can provide backup to undersea cables. Stehlin said satellites can help and support the bandwidth capability, but the low latency of cables can’t be replaced.

• Undersea Cables: Reps. Dunn, Greg Landsman (D-OH) and Chairman Guthrie asked about the resilience of undersea cables. Stehlin advocated for more landing points and repair ships. Rep. Latta asked if more cable redundancy is needed or if there are other technologies that can provide more reliable communications. Stehlin said the answer is more redundancy and quicker repairs. Rep. Latta asked how long repairs take. Stehlin said repairs can take upwards of two months. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) asked why redundancy is important for undersea cables. Stehlin said it is critical to avoid having a single point of failure and expressed support for increasing the number of landing points in the United States. He said permitting is another issue and that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) should oversee Team Telecom. Rep. Carter asked how to streamline permitting. Stehlin advocated for a trusted partner framework. Rep. Carter asked about the licensing term for undersea cables. Stehlin said the payback for subsea cables might be seven years and having a longer-term license ensures the company is going to make that investment.

• OpenRAN and Emerging Technologies: Rep. Troy Carter (D-LA) asked how the plug-and-play approach promotes competition among vendors. Stehlin said OpenRAN allows various aspects of wireless networks to be purchased from various vendors. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) asked about the importance of investing and leading in advanced wireless technologies from the start. Stehlin said these investments could take a decade and that work is already being done on 6G. Chairman Hudson asked how AI is being deployed in the satellite industry. Stroup said it is being used to identify the type of data going into a network, detect and respond to threats in real-time, address signal jamming detection and mitigation and improve space situational awareness. Chairman Hudson asked how AI can be used in communications networks. Jaffer said large language models (LLMs) can discover threats and vulnerabilities. Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA) asked about using AI to improve data processing capabilities. Galante said the focus should be on what the counterintelligence gain is for adversaries when they capture large data sets.

• Federal Workforce and Agency Operations: Ranking Member Matsui and Rep. Soto asked about the impact of the Trump administration downsizing the federal cybersecurity workforce. Galante said cybersecurity is inherently a federal issue. Subcommittee Vice Chairman Rick Allen (R-GA) asked how the roles of the key cybersecurity agencies are currently defined. Jaffer said the challenge is that there isn’t one agency responsible for defending the entire global infrastructure. He said there isn’t consensus between Congress and the administration on the role of the Department of Defense (DoD) and emphasized the importance of information sharing. Vice Chairman Allen and Rep. Fulcher asked how standardization and duplicity impact the security of telecommunications infrastructure. Stroup said the key is sharing threats and ensuring companies have an opportunity to address the situation. Stehlin said there must be one voice and a clear message throughout the country.

Next Steps

The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology will continue to consider the issue of global network security, particularly in the wake of growing cyberattacks on U.S. critical infrastructure, including telecommunications networks.

Access the recording of the hearing here