What is ICC?
The International Connectivity Coalition (ICC) is a group of companies with substantial investments in the submarine fiber optic cable industry that enables people, companies, governments, and institutions to communicate and transact business across oceans and between continents in near real time. These subsea cables, about the width of a garden hose, are part of the global telecommunications infrastructure that carries up to 99% of the world’s international information exchange, including voice, video, data and financial transactions integral to the nation’s economy. ICC is committed to helping consumers, businesses and institutions connect people around the world using these subsea fiber optic cable networks. Whether it’s a grandmother in Hawaii talking with her grandchildren in Chicago, an international wire transfer between a Brazilian and a Japanese bank, classified diplomatic communiques with our embassies abroad, or an online retail transaction between a consumer in Spain and a business in India (or vice versa), submarine cables are integral and vital to all of these communications.
ICC advocates for transparent, streamlined and environmentally responsible regulations to facilitate the siting, construction, operation (including maintenance and repair), and decommissioning of subsea fiber optic cables within U.S. waters and beyond.
Current ICC U.S. Advocacy
Subsea Cable Landing Licensing and National Security
ICC engages with federal policy and lawmakers in the U.S. to advocate for good policy and regulations to ensure that information and communication technology (ICT) providers continue to stay ahead of high-risk ICT competitors across the advanced technologies marketplace. The continued growth and deployment of new fiber-optic subsea cable infrastructure, and the diversification of land sites, protects U.S. data flows and promotes national and economic security interests.
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Subsea Cables in National Marine Sanctuaries
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Subsea Cable Federal Legislation
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ICC members have existing and planned subsea fiber optic networks landing in the United States from major commercial centers across the globe. Arising out of its advocacy work with the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary (NMS), ICC continues to stay engaged in federal policy discussions surrounding the regulation of subsea cables in NMS.
Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary
ICC members have existing and planned subsea fiber optic networks off the central California coast within waters designated for the Chumash Heritage NMS by NOAA. These networks connect to major commercial centers throughout Asia, as well as to Hawaii and Mexico. ICC supported the designation of the Chumash NMS and encouraged NOAA to account for critically important subsea cables in its regulations governing the sanctuary. ICC continues to maintain that NOAA’s regulations of subsea cables in NMS must consider the potential negative impacts on existing, planned and future subsea cables particularly for this location along the California central coast, which serves as a hub for major transpacific cable systems and includes significant landing infrastructure and purpose-built backhaul networks connecting cable landing stations to inland California data hubs in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay area.
Subsea Cables Across the Globe
Because subsea cables are global in nature, we coordinate with colleagues around the world to ensure that good subsea policy practices are applied everywhere. To see work in our regional chapters, please click on the links below.
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LatAm
Europe (Coming Soon)
APAC (Coming Soon)
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Learn More about ICC
To learn more or to become a coalition member, please contact internationalconnectivitycoalition@dwt.com. ICC is facilitated by Davis Wright Tremaine, LLP, and its members include Astound, AWS, Ciena, HMB Solutions, ITI, Meta, Microsoft, NEC, PC Landing Corp., Subcom, TIA, and Verizon.
