The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved tougher regulations for submarine communication cables, introducing stricter security requirements aimed at protecting critical internet infrastructure and reducing the role of equipment from foreign adversaries in U.S. networks.
Submarine communication cables carry 99 percent of international internet traffic, making them one of the world’s most important digital infrastructure assets. The FCC’s new rules are designed to strengthen national security while accelerating approvals for trusted U.S. technology companies expanding global connectivity.
A major change under the new framework is the requirement for licenses for operators of Submarine Line Terminal Equipment (SLTE) for the first time. SLTE performs the critical function of connecting undersea fiber-optic cable systems to terrestrial communications networks in the United States.
The FCC will also introduce a fast-track approval process for submarine cable applications from companies that meet stringent national security, cybersecurity, and data protection requirements. Eligible operators must certify compliance with continuous security monitoring and agree not to deploy equipment considered a national security risk.
The new regulations build on earlier restrictions that prohibited the use of equipment and services from companies identified as security threats, including Huawei, ZTE, China Telecom, and China Mobile. The latest rules are expected to broaden those restrictions by preventing the use of equipment from China or any other country designated as a foreign adversary in U.S. submarine cable systems.
The policy is expected to benefit major U.S. cloud and internet companies such as Meta and Google, which continue investing heavily in new undersea cable networks to support rapidly growing global internet traffic and artificial intelligence workloads.
U.S. officials have expressed growing concern for more than 400 subsea cable systems that form the backbone of global communications, warning that both physical sabotage and cyberattacks by countries such as China and Russia pose increasing risks to international connectivity and data security.
The FCC said the new licensing and security framework is intended to speed up trusted infrastructure deployment while strengthening oversight of one of the world’s most critical communications networks. The move reflects Washington’s broader strategy of securing digital infrastructure amid rising geopolitical tensions and the explosive growth of global data traffic.
SHAFANA FAZAL
