By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, July 16 (Reuters)
The climate between the United States and China has been volatile this week. With the diplomatic conflicts between the two countries, American authorities have been restricting the use of Chinese technology in communications. The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) new proposal signals a potential national security risk due to foreign agents, especially undersea cables, which carry the majority of data traffic. Discover Washington’s concerns about the future of communications in the country and what we can expect.
Submarine cables are a concern for the USA
The Federal Communications Commission said on Wednesday it plans to adopt rules to bar companies from connecting undersea submarine communication cables to the United States that include Chinese technology or equipment.
“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.”
The United States has for years expressed concerns about China’s role in handling network traffic and the potential for espionage. The U.S. has broad data security concerns about the network of more than 400 subsea cables that handle 99% of international internet traffic. Since 2020, U.S. regulators have been instrumental in the cancellation of four cables whose backers had wanted to link the United States with Hong Kong.
FCC plans to review and strengthen digital security
Due to growing geopolitical tension between Washington and Beijing, new rules are likely to be enacted. There’s a real concern, which goes beyond espionage, to include sabotage by China, potentially leading to real-world failures in American systems, and potentially compromising sectors of the digital economy.
The FCC last year said it was considering new rules governing undersea internet cables in the face of growing security concerns, as part of a review of regulations on the links that handle nearly all the world’s online traffic. The FCC said it was considering barring the use of equipment or services in those undersea cable facilities from companies on an FCC list of companies deemed to pose threats to U.S national security, including Huawei, ZTE 000063.SZ, 601728.SS China Telecom and China Mobile 600941. SS.
Carr said the FCC is taking action to “guard our submarine cables against foreign adversary ownership, and access as well as cyber and physical threats.” The FCC will also seek comment on additional measures to protect submarine cable security against foreign adversary equipment. The cutting of two fiber-optic undersea telecommunication cables in the Baltic Sea prompted investigations of possible sabotage.
In addition to implementing electronic surveillance, the FCC is also concerned about the integrity of submarine cables, including accidental or intentional cuts. This concern is particularly felt in more strategic locations, such as the Baltic Sea. The goal is for the country to anticipate threats, so new protective measures must be implemented after public consultation.
Is there actually a vulnerability in global networks?
In 2023, Taiwan accused two Chinese vessels of cutting the only two cables that support internet access on the Matsu Islands, and Houthi attacks in the Red Sea may have been responsible for the cutting of three cables providing internet service to Europe and Asia.
In the short term, we can expect a tougher stance from the US — especially from the FCC — on protecting the flow of its international data, which means that we can expect the exclusion of Chinese companies from the American market. These changes could directly impact the construction and maintenance of submarine networks, and we look forward to seeing how the country’s relationship with China unfolds in this process.
GCN.com/Reuters