# Microsoft lobbies against potential ban on Chinese optical networking gear for AI data centers as FCC mulls restricting imports

Source: [Latest from Tom's Hardware](https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/policy/microsoft-lobbies-against-potential-ban-on-chinese-optical-networking-gear-for-ai-data-centers-as-fcc-mulls-restricting-imports-industry-group-says-move-could-grind-data-center-rollout-to-a-halt) · 2026-11-10 · Industry
Page: https://themorning.dev/story/microsoft-lobbies-against-potential-ban-on-chinese-optical-networking-gear-for-a-0ee2e1d6e6e251f3
Kind: policy · Impact: medium

## In brief

- Microsoft has reportedly met with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Security Council about a possible ban on Chinese optical networking gear.
- The FCC is reportedly considering an import ban on Chinese optical networking equipment.
- Microsoft is building 35 U.S. data centers and has plans for 134 more, according to the report.

## Why it matters

A restriction on Chinese optical networking gear could affect the supply and cost of hardware used to build AI data centers, potentially slowing rollouts as an industry group warns.

## Timeline

- 2026-11-10: Tom's Hardware reports that Microsoft lobbies against a potential ban on Chinese optical networking gear as the FCC mulls restricting imports

## Coverage

- [Microsoft lobbies against potential ban on Chinese optical networking gear for AI data centers as FCC mulls restricting imports](https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/policy/microsoft-lobbies-against-potential-ban-on-chinese-optical-networking-gear-for-ai-data-centers-as-fcc-mulls-restricting-imports-industry-group-says-move-could-grind-data-center-rollout-to-a-halt) — Latest from Tom's Hardware, 2026-11-10

Tags: optical-networking, data-centers, fcc, export-policy, ai-infrastructure

---

Brief generated by AI (claude-haiku-5-5) from the reporting listed under Coverage. Headlines belong to their publishers. The Morning Dev – https://themorning.dev