Federal Communications Commission (FCC)Issue a statementThe United States plans to vote on a new proposal on August 8th to ban Chinese technology from being used in the construction of submarine cables connecting to the United States. This move is seen as further strengthening the security of the US cyber infrastructure and limiting Chinese technological influence from infiltrating the core areas of US cyber sovereignty.
According to a press release from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, this proposal will target the current FCCList of "unacceptable risks to U.S. national security"Chinese companies in the country are completely prohibited from participating in the trade in technology, equipment or any other form.
In addition, the new regulations will also limit the possibility of these Chinese companies obtaining relevant licenses for US communication cables, covering self-construction, operation or cooperation in the construction of submarine communication cables connecting the United States.
submarine cableThe infrastructure is the backbone of modern internet communications, with over 95% of global cross-border data transmission relying on it. The FCC believes that if Chinese companies, considered potential national security threats, participate in its construction, it could create security vulnerabilities and potentially be used for surveillance and espionage.
In fact, as early as the first term of the Trump administration, the United States passed the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act, requiring telecom operators to remove equipment supplied by Huawei and ZTE, and the Federal Communications Commission provided financial subsidies.
Although there are only three commissioners left in the current U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), under the leadership of Brendan Carr, the law enforcement and regulatory strategies have become increasingly tough. Not only has China's technology been blocked externally, but domestic scrutiny of corporate diversity policies and M&A intentions has also been strengthened.
The proposed restrictions on submarine cables not only continue the fundamental direction of previous policies, but are also seen as a response to the 2024 "Salt Typhoon" cybersecurity attack. This incident crippled the systems of several US telecommunications and technology companies, further highlighting the potential risks to US infrastructure and forcing regulators to accelerate defense upgrades.
If the proposal is passed in the future, it will inevitably have an impact on the global cable layout and may further change the power distribution between the United States and China in the competition for digital infrastructure. This is especially sensitive at a time when the construction of submarine communication networks is gradually becoming a front line of the "new Cold War."
