The Federal Communications Commission has voted to launch a major review of licensing rules surrounding submarine cable rules.
A new Notice of Proposed Rulemaking adopted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will begin a review of the regulations surrounding submarine cables.
The rulemaking notice, approved Nov. 21 by the FCC, will now seek public comment regarding how the commission can streamline the rules around submarine cables to ensure efficient deployment.
According to the FCC’s release following the vote, the agency has not conducted a major review of submarine cable rules since 2001.
“Oversight of submarine cables traces back even before the existence of the commission itself,” the FCC’s release following Thursday’s vote stated.
According to the release, there are currently a total of 84 FCC-licensed submarine cable systems.
As part of the rulemaking notice approved Thursday, the FCC will also seek comment on how the commission can improve security and protection of submarine-cable infrastructure.
“This proceeding will look to streamline the agency’s review process,” the release stated. “It proposes a three-year periodic reporting requirement for cable landing licenses and, in the alternative, seeks comment on shortening the current 25-year license term.”
As of Dec. 2022, the FCC reported that cable-landing licensees had more than 5.3 million Gbps of available capacity, with an additional 6.8 million Gbps in planned capacity this year alone.
“Today’s action continues the FCC’s recent efforts to support national security,” Thursday’s release continued. “The commission has proposed new rules that would require, for the first time, companies with international telecommunications authorizations to file renewal applications with the FCC.”
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