FCC to ban Chinese equipment in undersea telecoms cables leading to the US
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced plans to introduce new rules banning the use of Chinese technology or equipment in submarine cables connecting to US territory. Companies from the national threat list - Huawei, ZTE, China Telecom, China Mobile and others - will fall under the ban.
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FCC Chairman Brendan Carr attributed the decision to fears of espionage and cyber threats, as well as identified instances of possible physical tampering with cables - for example, in the Baltic Sea and off the Matsu Islands. According to the data, undersea lines carry up to 99% of international internet traffic, making them critical infrastructure.
The FCC has already blocked several projects involving US connectivity to Hong Kong since October 2024 and is now preparing to vote on August 7 on tougher measures, including denying licences to those who would use Chinese equipment. There are also plans to simplify licensing for companies like Google, Meta, Microsoft and Amazon, subject to security requirements.
Experts see the move as a logical continuation of the "digital isolation of Chinese technology" strategy that has intensified since the Salt Typhoon cyberattack, and see it as a sign of undersea cables becoming a technological and geopolitical battleground.
Source: FCC
