FCC Gives the US a Boost in Subsea Cable Competition With China
The FCC’s recent reforms to streamline subsea cable approvals could help the United States regain ground in the global digital infrastructure race with China, Ellis Scherer writes in The Diplomat. Subsea cables carry more than 99 percent of the world’s internet traffic, yet U.S. projects have often been bogged down by lengthy, opaque permitting.
The new rules mark a shift: codifying application requirements, creating clearer timelines, and exempting certain projects from Team Telecom’s interagency review process. Together, these changes are designed to cut red tape, speed up deployment, and encourage new private-sector investment.
Meanwhile, China has rapidly expanded its own cable footprint, leveraging state-backed firms to extend digital influence across Asia, Africa, and beyond. Without faster approvals, the U.S. risked ceding strategic ground.
Scherer argues that by modernizing its regulatory approach, the FCC has put the U.S. in a stronger position to compete, safeguard data flows, and strengthen alliances in the digital age.
