FCC to Consider Phone Number Access Rules on Nov. 19

The Federal Communications Commission is tentatively scheduled to consider new rules for direct access to U.S. phone numbers on Nov. 19, 2026, including measures that could affect China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom. The proposal has not been adopted, and reports differ on whether it would directly bar the carriers from access or change certification and authorization procedures without immediately removing them. The FCC agenda lists the item as a Fourth Report and Order and Fourth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. No vote time is specified. The agency’s announcement, as described in one account, calls for national-security certifications from providers and revisions to the authorization process before numbers are assigned. It does not state that the named services would immediately lose access, nor does it give an effective date for any rules that may be adopted. Other reporting characterized the proposal as a ban on direct U.S. phone-number access for China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom and other IP-enabled service providers. The FCC’s agenda and announcement do not settle that difference in scope. The final order, if approved, would clarify which...