The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently announced that it would begin a broad rulemaking process on undersea
cables for the first time in over two decades, citing the need to modernize both for national
security and the rapidly changing technology of undersea cables that crisscross the globe.
“Even as undersea cable systems have evolved technologically and economically, our
regulatory framework has not kept pace,” FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel said in the statement regarding recent FCC announcements.
An FCC vote is expected on Nov. 21 to update the rules to protect undersea cables that now carry more than 95% of international internet traffic.
Undersea cable infrastructure has been in the bipartisan limelight for several weeks now. Last
month, eight U.S. senators, led by Republican Todd Young and Democrat Chris Murphy , signed a bipartisan letter formally calling on the Biden administration to examine possible critical vulnerabilities in
the global undersea cable network. This review would give the most importance to the threats
from foreign powers, primarily Russia and China. The senators emphasized the protection of
these cables against any espionage or sabotage attempts, given China’s growing influence in
laying and repairing cables.
Undersea cables are the backbone of modern connectivity, comprising over 400 subsea lines
carrying an estimated 99% of the world’s data. In light of this, senators asked the administration for a more extensive strategy to guarantee the security of American and allied infrastructures.
That call to action reflects longstanding concerns about China’s role in managing network traffic
and the potential for surveillance. For years, the U.S. has actively prevented Chinese entities
from landing subsea contracts in strategic regions and barred cables from landing directly
between the U.S. and mainland China or Hong Kong, citing perceptions of these links as
possible gateways for espionage.
Recent actions by the FCC underscore the urgency of securing the Internet’s infrastructure.
Since 2020, the FCC has blocked four major undersea cable projects that would have
connected the U.S. to Hong Kong because of national security concerns. This past April, the
FCC also ordered U.S. affiliates of three major Chinese telecommunications companies,
including China Telecom, China Unicom and China Mobile, to stop their broadband operations
in the United States. In June, the FCC advanced a plan to grant additional authority to police
online data security after suspicions that data had been intercepted due to concerns that the
Chinese carrier had misrouted traffic.
The FCC’s forthcoming review is part of a broader U.S. effort to balance technological
advancements against national security. As reliance on digital networks becomes more
indispensable in the post-pandemic world, protecting the integrity of global internet infrastructure
has emerged as a declared strategic priority of the United States. The FCC’s review may result
in new safeguards and regulatory measures that address the existing security vulnerabilities
while anticipating future risks from evolving technologies and foreign influences. This shift in the
new regulation reflects an overdue recognition that while out of sight, undersea cables are very
much part of what binds national and international communications together. As the FCC
prepares for its November vote, it will have to make some decisions that may set the future course on how these cables will be managed, secured and used in an increasingly contested
geopolitical environment.
