US targets Chinese tech in undersea internet infrastructure

The United States government is adding new tools to prevent Chinese technology companies from using its computer systems for undersea internet cables. These cables are the invisible backbone of the internet, shuttling data under the seas and worldwide.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will consider new rules on Wednesday. Those rules would prevent companies from using Chinese equipment or connecting cables that had some Chinese companies involved in links between the US.

FCC Chair Brendan Carr said the Commission’s move was a step toward securing the next generation of communication networks in rural America and protecting the nation’s communications infrastructure. 

He noted that subsea cable infrastructure faced growing threats from foreign adversaries, including China, in recent years. Carr added that the FCC was acting to guard submarine cables against foreign ownership, unauthorized access, and potential malicious activity.

That is the most aggressive position the FCC has taken on the security of undersea cables. The proposed rules would aim for equipment and services from firms already identified as threats to American national security. This list includes Huawei, ZTE, China Telecom, and China Mobile.

New cable projects that link to United States territory and involve such companies will be prohibited, under the plan. Some older infrastructure could be subject to greater scrutiny.

Washington ramps up cable security

The United States has had long-standing concerns about China’s participation in global telecommunications. Subsea internet cables, in particular, are notoriously fragile. Most are rarely seen, but they are vital. They carry emails, financial information, military communications, and even the vast majority of same-day data that fuels video calls and streaming.

There are more than 400 such cables around the world. A single hack or intrusion could have outsize effects.

US regulators have already assisted in canceling at least four major cable projects since 2020 that would have linked the United States to Hong Kong. Security officials warned that China could exploit these connections for spying or sabotage.

Last year, the Commission started re-examining its rules concerning undersea cables. It suggested that the existing rules were weak. In light of this, the Commission is seeking public comment on its plan to increase the scope of its oversight.

The new rules will also consider more protections. These could range from stronger licensing regimes, more government oversight, to mandatory security audits.

Saboteurs target undersea cables

In 2023, Taiwan blamed Chinese vessels for deliberately severing two cables that linked the isolated Matsu Islands. The weeks-long cutoff left thousands without internet and raised fears of digital blockading.

Three important undersea cables linking Europe to Asia were severed in the Red Sea in 2024. American and European intelligence officials have said the strike was most likely launched by or on behalf of Iran, as payback for a Saudi military offensive that has revived the moribund war in Yemen against the Houthis.

These episodes are a reminder that cables are no longer passive infrastructure. Now they’re being used as pawns in geopolitical contests. As threats escalate, so do calls for stronger protections.

The concern is that if an adversary nation controlled a cable landing station or financed university researchers, it could eavesdrop on, or even cut, the data traffic that flows along American and global undersea cables without leaving a trace.

The FCC’s announcement is part of a broader effort by the United States to “de-risk” technology supply chains from Chinese control.

Washington has already worked to ban Chinese telecom companies from its domestic networks. It had barred Huawei and ZTE from supplying 5G equipment and pressured allies to do likewise.

But China has condemned that approach. Its foreign ministry has denounced them as “unreasonable suppression of Chinese enterprises” and accused the US of politicizing technology.

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