Fedorchak votes to reform undersea cable deployment, strengthen national security

Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak (R-ND) today voted in favor of the Undersea Cable Protection Act, legislation to strengthen national security and global connectivity by safeguarding the submarine cable infrastructure that carries the majority of international communications and data traffic.

"Undersea cables are core national security infrastructure, but duplicative federal permitting regulations have made them harder to deploy, protect, and repair. These vulnerabilities undermine the security and reliability of the systems we rely on every day," Fedorchak said. "By removing duplicative permitting requirements, this bill will eliminate federal bottlenecks and strengthen the resilience of our undersea cable network."

Background on the Undersea Cable Protection Act:

Undersea networks are a major component of our global connectivity. The exponential growth of the digital economy has made these cables increasingly vital to global infrastructure. Enhancing the security of these cables and promoting rather than deterring their deployment and maintenance will protect our national and economic security and ensure we are connected to the rest of the world.

Currently, undersea cables are required to get a Special Use Permit (SUP) for all subsea cables in national marine sanctuaries. This process is duplicative of existing local, state, and federal permitting laws. Obtaining SUPs causes unnecessary delays and is detrimental to meeting our connectivity needs in a timely manner. In August 2024, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) temporarily suspended the requirement for Special Use Permits for the continued presence of submarine cables in new national marine sanctuaries for a two-year period.

This legislation goes further and eliminates the SUP process while maintaining existing local, state and federal permit rules. NOAA made its decision based on the minimal environmental impact they found subsea cables caused in marine sanctuaries. If enacted, this bill better protects submarine cables from our adversaries and allows for easier maintenance when cables are inadvertently damaged.

Additionally, grouping substantial amounts of undersea cables in close proximity creates an easier and higher value target for foreign adversaries trying to weaken our ability to connect to the rest of the world, posing a significant national security and economic risk. Potential risks and disruptions can be mitigated by spreading out fiber optic cables to make any disruptions to the network less severe.

Specifically, the bill:

• Preserves existing local, state, and federal permitting requirements for submarine cables while exempting undersea cables from NOAA's duplicative Special Use Permit process, which has caused unnecessary delays without providing additional environmental protection.

• Streamlines federal permitting to allow for faster deployment, repair, and maintenance of submarine cable infrastructure, improving resilience against accidental damage and hostile interference.

• Strengthens global connectivity by supporting the infrastructure responsible for approximately 99 percent of international data and communications, which underpins government operations, financial systems, military coordination, and the digital economy.

• Enhances national security by encouraging greater route diversity for undersea cables, reducing the risk posed by concentrated infrastructure that could be targeted or disrupted by foreign adversaries.

• Balances infrastructure protection with environmental stewardship by maintaining protections for national marine sanctuaries while recognizing NOAA findings that submarine cables have minimal environmental impact.

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