Assessment of the U.S. Telecommunications Industry Dependence on Foreign Sourcesas it Impacts the U.S. Telecommunications Infrastructure

摘要

The production of telecommunications equipment used for National Security andEmergency Preparedness (NS/EP) purposes in the U.S. is dependent on sources for components and supplies from vendors outside the U.S. and Canada. The ability to mobilize the manufacturing of telecommunications equipment in response to natural disaster or war is of primary concern. A study of the foreign source dependence vulnerabilities in the process for manufacturing the Class-5 telephone central office switch was completed in 1993 by the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS) (Peach and Meister, 1993). Certain components were identified that could present a barrier to the timely mobilization of the Class-5 switch manufacturing. The vulnerabilities included several pieces of factory equipment and several consumable items that are necessary to produce the Class-5 equipment. The basis for discovery of foreign source dependence vulnerabilities is the possible need for rapid mobilization of U.S. telecommunications factories in the context of NS/EP. A rapid mobilization may mean the need for larger than normal quantities of raw materials, spare parts, or the need for additional equipment to provide additional communications capability for U.S. personnel.