Sense of Congress

It is the sense of Congress that— (1) subsea fiber-optic cables constitute the backbone of the global internet and therefore should be treated as a global public good; (2) the United States Government has an important role to play in advancing the United States interests in international bodies that oversee subsea fiber-optic cable protection, promote network resilience and redundancy, and advance regulations in support of these goals; (3) the United States Government should play a more active role in the International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) in order to advance the United States national security and economic interests; (4) the United States should lead efforts to promote the deployment of resilient subsea fiber-optic cable networks, enhance situational awareness, strengthen preparedness, and formalize collective responses among allies and partners through enhanced information sharing and coordination; and (5) while the United States and allied foreign governments have a role to play in the protection of subsea fiber-optic cables, cable owners and other associated private sector stakeholders carry significant responsibility in safeguarding subsea cables.