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 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 U.S. consumers, businesses and institutions connect people around the world using these subsea fiber optic cable networks, and to extend these networks domestically, including to remote areas currently lacking access to high speed internet. Whether it’s a grandmother in Hawaii talking with her grandchildren in Chicago, an international wire transfer between a U.S. and a Japanese bank, classified diplomatic communiques with our embassies abroad, or an online retail transaction between a consumer in Idaho and an overseas business (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.
Current ICC Advocacy
Subsea Cable Landing Licensing and National Security
ICC engages with federal policy and lawmakers to advocate for good policy and regulations to ensure that U.S. 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.
Subsea Cables in National Marine Sanctuaries
Subsea Cable Federal Legislation
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.
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, Meta, Microsoft, PC Landing Corp., Subcom, and Verizon.
