Key facts
- FCC plans to toughen oversight of submarine communications cables.
- New rules aim to make it harder for Chinese companies to provide equipment.
- Approvals for trusted U.S. tech firms will be expedited.
- Rules may expand bans on equipment from China or other foreign adversaries.
- FCC plans to require licenses for submarine line terminal equipment for the first time.
- Operators must guard against espionage and monitor national security and data security compliance.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) plans to toughen oversight of submarine communications cables, which carry 99% of international internet traffic. The proposed rules aim to make it more difficult for Chinese companies to supply equipment for these critical infrastructure systems and to expedite approvals for trusted U.S. tech firms like Meta and Google. For the first time, licenses will be required for submarine line terminal equipment, which connects to U.S. terrestrial facilities. Operators will need to guard against espionage and monitor national security and data security compliance, agreeing not to use foreign equipment that could pose security risks. This initiative is expected to expand existing bans on equipment from China or other foreign adversaries. U.S. officials have expressed concerns about the security of the more than 400 subsea cables globally, citing threats from China and Russia.