The Federal Communications Commission voted today to begin what it called a “major, comprehensive review and update of licensing rules for submarine cables” with goals including better protecting that critical communications infrastructure by, among other steps, prohibiting the use of equipment and services sold by companies based in adversarial nations including China and Russia. […]

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) plans to vote Nov. 21 on a notice of proposed rulemaking that would review the agency’s existing licensing rules for undersea cables with the goal of better protecting that class of critical communications infrastructure by, among other steps, prohibiting the use of equipment and services sold by companies based in adversarial nations including China and Russia. […]

The U.S. State Department – which works with other countries to make sure that undersea communications cables are secure against meddling – is prioritizing the further development of “trusted undersea cables” as cybersecurity threats from China and other adversaries continue to grow, the agency’s top cybersecurity official said on Sept. 3.    […]