This piece originally appeared in the National Interest.
Arteries of American prosperity lie beneath the ocean. Submarine cables carry over 95 percent of international data traffic, supporting everything from financial transactions to military intelligence. American companies and the cable networks they support are the envy of the world, and increasingly an area of economic and strategic cooperation between the US and allies. Preserving American firms’ competitive edge in the development, deployment, and management of such networks is crucial for our economic and national security.
Recognizing the importance of these undersea networks, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently initiated a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to review and update its submarine cable landing license rules. To best serve America’s economic and national security interests, the Commission should focus on two key themes: streamlining application processes and enhancing security oversight without creating duplicative requirements.
Eliminate Redundancies Through a Joint Questionnaire With Team Telecom
Modernizing the submarine cable licensing process starts with eliminating redundancies. One way the Commission could do this is by creating a standardized joint questionnaire shared between the FCC and the Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the United States Telecommunications Services Sector, or Team Telecom, as it is informally called. Team Telecom is an all-star team of agents from across the executive branch who provide expertise on the best approaches to securing and protecting telecommunications infrastructure. A joint questionnaire would create greater continuity between the bodies, improving awareness about potential vulnerabilities among license-holders and partners while accelerating approval timelines.
