The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied China Telecom Americas Corp.'s emergency motion to pause a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) order revoking the company's authorizations to continue operating in the U.S.
China Telecom must cease all operations in the US by early January after it lost the bid to appeal against the revocation of its licence.
"Petitioner has not satisfied the stringent requirements for a stay pending court review," read the court document.
In May 2019, the FCC voted to deny state-owned Chinese telecom firm China Mobile Ltd the right to provide U.S. services.
The FCC terminated China Telecom Americas Corporation's authority to provide telecom services within the US on 26 October, citing national security risks such as the telco's potential for exploitation, influence, and control by the Chinese government, potential espionage, and other harmful activities.
The carrier's appeal was based because the FCC had rejected its request for a hearing and that it didn't pose an imminent threat to US national security, reported American media outlets.
The carrier, which did not immediately comment on Thursday, was ordered by the FCC on Oct. 26 to discontinue U.S. services by early January.
According to media reports, China Telecom, which has been authorized for 20 years to provide telecommunications services in the United States, had more than 335 million subscribers worldwide in 2019.
