The Federal Communications Commission is set to vote on new rules that would block the use of Chinese technology in undersea cables. The proposal targets companies listed by the FCC as posing an unacceptable risk to U.S. national security. These rules would not only ban the use of equipment from these firms but also restrict Chinese companies from obtaining licenses to build or operate cables connected to the U.S.
Undersea cables are a critical part of global internet infrastructure, and the FCC views them as a potential vulnerability for foreign espionage. By limiting Chinese involvement, the U.S. aims to strengthen its own cable providers while reducing perceived security threats.
This move follows earlier actions under the Trump administration, which required telecom carriers to remove Huawei and ZTE equipment from their networks. The FCC allocated funding to help companies replace the banned Chinese gear. The new undersea cable rules, however, come from a different FCC leadership.
Currently, the commission has only three members instead of the usual five. Under Chairman Brendan Carr, the FCC has taken a more aggressive regulatory stance, even pushing policies that some argue threaten free speech. Carr has also targeted corporate diversity initiatives, threatening investigations and blocking mergers for companies that maintain such policies.
The vote on the undersea cable rules is scheduled for August 7. The proposal aligns with past FCC efforts to limit Chinese tech influence and could be seen as a response to recent cybersecurity threats, including the Salt Typhoon hack that impacted U.S. carriers last year.
This latest move underscores the ongoing tensions between the U.S. and China over technology and infrastructure security. If approved, the rules could further reshape the global telecom landscape by sidelining Chinese firms from critical internet projects.
