"This is a national problem. It needs a national solution."
In the opening remarks for his workshop, "The Security Threat within our Communications Networks," FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks wanted to make this position clear.
What to do with Huawei?
At this point, the words "security threats from Huawei" are starting to sound like a broken record.
Concerns around the company came to a head when the US government banned providers from using the Chinese tech.
[RELATED: Huawei and the US Government: A Match of Wits]
And while Starks praised the efforts to address network security issues, he says the job is far from over.
"What those actions are not addressing is an equally critical problem. That is the equipment that is already in our networks. The threat is real. And it is here. We need solutions."
Though the workshop itself won't get rid of the equipment—especially in small, rural areas where Huawei equipment might be the cheapest accessible option—Starks hopes to jump start national collaboration.
"This forum, I think, is particularly fitting because it is going to require a public-private partnership. For example, we're going to need private carriers with insecure equipment in their network to come forward to raise their hand so that we can work with them to fix this issue."
But Starks' initiative is larger than fixing the issue. The workshop emphasized a three-step plan to take down the threat.
"We need to find insecure equipment in our networks. We need to fix the problem. We need to fund the process. Find it, fix it, fund it."
In the "Three Fs," it looks like the FCC has its battle strategy.
Check out the forum broadcast here.
