FCC Launches First Major Review of Submarine Cable Rules in Decades

The Federal Communications Commission voted to launch a major, comprehensive review and update of licensing rules for submarine cables that transmit information between continents and fuel economic activity. Since the agency’s last review in 2001, the technology, economics, and national security environments surrounding these systems have greatly changed. In the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the FCC seeks comment on how best to improve and streamline the submarine cable rules to facilitate efficient deployment of submarine cables while ensuring the security, resilience, and protection of this critical infrastructure. Security review of license applications often involves numerous federal partners through the Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the United States Telecommunications Services Sector and with a critical role for the State Department.