The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is set to ban a China-based “bad lab” for providing false equipment test results, continuing the government agency’s push toward weeding out network equipment deemed to have circumspect cybersecurity credentials.

The FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) filed to withdraw recognition of Dongguam, China-based SLG-CPC Test Laboratory Co. Ltd., which admitted to submitting “numerous test reports with data copied-and-pasted from other reports” for electronic devices to be marketed and sold in the U.S.

The FCC requires electronic equipment that use radio frequencies sold in the U.S. to pass certification requirements to ensure they don’t “contain prohibited equipment that threatens national security.” That certification testing is handled by accredited labs around the world.

SLG-CPC was accredited by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) in 2021, and has submitted test reports for approximately 300 equipment authorization applications to date. However, the OET earlier this year found discrepancies in 33 of those test results, “which used the same test data for different products.”

The test lab did not dispute the findings, and also self-reported 21 additional cases where it “improperly reused test data.” The lab blamed the issue on “inadequate, non-systematic review procedures carried out by the review staff.”

“Falsifying test data plainly undermines trust in the FCC’s equipment authorization process and threatens the security of U.S. communications networks and U.S persons,” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr noted in a statement. “The commission will continue to scrutinize our test labs and lab accreditation bodies to ensure all entities involved in our equipment authorizations adhere to FCC rules.”

FCC targets China labs, router-linked equipment

The move continues what has been a year-long push by the FCC to reassess accreditation of test labs, with a specific focus on those based in China. These termed “bad labs” are deemed to be “owned by, or subject to the direction or control of, a foreign adversary country.”

The FCC said it has so far denied recognition to, or withdrawn recognition from, 23 such test labs.

This push also comes as the FCC has worked through banning some network routers that use components from or that are built by Chinese manufacturers or entities owned or controlled by China.

That program, which was announced in March, was tied to the FCC attempting to tackle what it described as “unacceptable risks to national security” from nations such as China by citing cybersecurity attacks likes the China-associated Salt Typhoon incidents. The agency warned foreign-made routers could be exploited to “attack American households” and facilitate network espionage and disruptions.

The move saw foreign-produced routers from the likes of Huawei and ZTE added to what’s known as the "Covered List," a catalogue of communications equipment and services. Only foreign-made routers that receive conditional approval from either the Department of Defense (DoD) or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are suitable for import.

The FCC has since provided waivers for a handful of router brands that have shown their devices are not a risk. These include vendors like Nokia, Adtran, Eero, Calix, and Netgear.