The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced plans to introduce new rules that would prohibit the use of Chinese technology and equipment in undersea communication cables connecting to the United States, citing growing national security threats.
“We have seen submarine cable infrastructure threatened in recent years by foreign adversaries, like China,” FCC Chair, Brendan Carr, said in a statement. “We are, therefore, taking action here to guard our submarine cables against foreign adversary ownership and access, as well as cyber and physical threats.”
Submarine cables, largely invisible but vital, carry around 99% of global internet traffic through a network of more than 400 underwater lines. U.S. officials have long raised concerns over potential espionage and vulnerabilities stemming from Chinese involvement in this infrastructure.
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The new FCC proposal follows a series of regulatory actions since 2020, including the blocking of four proposed cables that would have linked the U.S. directly to Hong Kong. The FCC is now seeking to expand these efforts by banning components and services from companies it has flagged as national security threats, including Huawei, ZTE, China Telecom, and China Mobile.
The agency also intends to open the floor to public and industry feedback on additional safeguards that could further protect the undersea network infrastructure.
The urgency of the matter has been underscored by recent incidents, including the 2023 severing of Taiwan’s undersea internet cables by Chinese vessels off the Matsu Islands and the suspected sabotage of fiber-optic lines in the Baltic Sea. Moreover, Houthi-led attacks in the Red Sea last year were linked to damage of cables connecting Europe and Asia.
Carr emphasized that the FCC’s actions are part of a broader strategy to “strengthen America’s digital backbone” and prevent adversarial control over global data routes. As geopolitical tensions continue to ripple through the tech and telecommunications sectors, the U.S. is drawing a firm line beneath the waves.
