The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday approved new rules to accelerate the deployment and security of subsea data cables, citing growing threats from China and other foreign adversaries.
The move aims to strengthen US leadership in artificial intelligence and next-generation technologies by targeting the vast global network of subsea cables that carry about 99% of the world’s Internet traffic and support more than $10 trillion in financial transactions daily.
Long critical to global communications, these undersea networks are increasingly viewed as strategic assets vulnerable to sabotage and espionage.
“We not only want to unleash the deployment of new undersea cables — we want to make sure those cables are secure,” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said in an accompanying statement. “In recent years, we have seen submarine cable infrastructure threatened by foreign adversaries, like China.”
The new regulations streamline the cable licensing process, tighten security requirements and restrict participation from foreign entities deemed national security risks.
Certain license applications from companies controlled by adversarial governments will now face a presumption of denial — meaning they are unlikely to be approved unless applicants can prove the project poses no threat to US national security. Additional cybersecurity and physical security measures will also be required for cables landing on US shores.
The changes are part of a broader US effort to reduce China’s role in sensitive technologies. Subsea cables stretching more than 1.4 million kilometers globally are frequently damaged by natural disasters or human activity, such as dragging ship anchors.
“Subsea cables are uniquely vulnerable to espionage, sabotage, and surveillance,” FCC commissioner Olivia Trusty warned in a statement. “Our global adversaries understand this.”
She added that while China is rapidly expanding its investments in undersea infrastructure, Russia’s military has shown it can track and map cable routes. “These trends cannot be ignored, which is why today’s order is so important,” she said.
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