The FCC has adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), launching its first comprehensive review in decades of licensing rules for submarine cables that transmit information between continents. The Commission is seeking comment on how best to improve and streamline the submarine cable rules to facilitate efficient deployment of submarine cables while ensuring the security, resilience, and protection of this infrastructure. The NPRM: (1) proposes a three-year periodic reporting requirement for cable landing licenses; (2) seeks comment on shortening the current 25-year license term; (3) proposes updates to application requirements for national security purposes; and (4) aims to improve the quality of the circuit capacity data the FCC collects from licensees.
