FCC moves to ban Chinese tech from undersea cables

What just happened? It seems the next technology to be banned by the US for featuring Chinese components will be undersea cables. The FCC has announced that it will vote on rules that will, among other things, prohibit companies from connecting submarine communications cables to the United States if they include Chinese technology or equipment.

According to a statement from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, the FCC will vote on rules to "unleash submarine cable investment to accelerate the buildout of AI infrastructure, while securing cables against foreign adversaries, like China."

Carr wrote that undersea cable infrastructure, which carries 99% of all international internet traffic, has been threatened in recent years by foreign adversaries, including China. Therefore, the US is taking action to guard these cables against foreign adversary ownership and access as well as cyber and physical threats.

The proposed rules will apply to companies on the FCC's entity ...