en.Wedoany.com Reported - The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has introduced a series of new regulations to strengthen oversight of submarine cable infrastructure, aiming to reduce national security risks and further limit China's involvement in the sector. Submarine cables carry approximately 99% of global international internet traffic, including financial communications, industrial data, cloud services, and government communications, making their strategic value increasingly prominent.
The core of the new rules is the introduction of mandatory licensing requirements for operators of Submarine Line Terminal Equipment (SLTE) for the first time. SLTE devices serve as the connection point between submarine cables and U.S. terrestrial networks, handling data transmission and routing across oceans, and are considered critical components for preventing espionage, eavesdropping, or damage to communication networks. The FCC stated that controlling these devices is essential for ensuring the security of international communications.
Alongside enhanced regulation, the FCC plans to provide an expedited authorization pathway for companies deemed trustworthy in terms of national security. Operators granted fast-track status must adopt strict standards to prevent espionage and security incidents, ensure continuous compliance monitoring, and commit to not using equipment considered to pose a national security risk. This measure could translate into a competitive advantage for major U.S. tech groups such as Meta and Google, which have played an increasingly central role in the construction and financing of global submarine networks in recent years.
The new rules are also part of the U.S. strategy to curb China's technological influence. In 2024, the FCC already banned the use of equipment and services from companies on its national security threat list in submarine infrastructure, involving Huawei, ZTE, China Telecom, and China Mobile. The new rules may further expand restrictions, not only excluding companies already on the federal blacklist but also potentially more broadly excluding equipment from China or other countries classified by the U.S. as "foreign adversaries," aiming to reduce the risk of critical components being used to collect sensitive information or carry out sabotage activities.
The tightening of regulations comes amid growing concerns in Washington over the security of submarine infrastructure. The U.S., UK, and Australia, through the trilateral defense pact AUKUS, will develop unmanned autonomous vehicles to be deployed in oceans worldwide, including the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, to prevent and deter damage to submarine cables. These underwater drones will be armed and supported by advanced sensor networks. In April this year, U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch called for an international strategy to both identify those responsible for sabotage and enhance the resilience of submarine networks to limit their economic and strategic impact. Previously, in 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice sought to impose national security agreements on submarine cable systems involving Google and Meta, arguing it was necessary to address alleged Chinese attempts to obtain sensitive personal data of U.S. citizens.
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