To direct the Secretary of Commerce to submit to Congress a report containing an assessment of the value, cost, and feasibility... in plain language
1: Assessment of trans-Atlantic submarine fiber optic cable
This section would require the Secretary of Commerce (acting through the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information), consulting with other federal department and agency heads as needed, to submit a report to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation within 1 year after the bill becomes law. The report would assess the value, cost, and feasibility of a trans-Atlantic submarine fiber optic cable connecting the contiguous United States, the United States Virgin Islands, Ghana, and Nigeria, framed as a way to strengthen US national security. The report would have to cover: the digital security, national security, and economic opportunities tied to such a cable; the remaining lifespan of the submarine cables that currently connect the US Virgin Islands to the contiguous United States; the current security of telecommunications between the contiguous United States and the US Virgin Islands; whether US Virgin Islands telecom infrastructure is ready to support the new cable; the potential to work with trusted entities on deploying the cable and the geopolitical and economic advantages of doing so; the potential connectivity opportunities to maximize US economic investment using the cable; the value, cost, and feasibility of building a data center and high-security cloud services facility with independent power generation in the US Virgin Islands to handle communications for US Africa Command, US Special Operations Command, and other national security communications; the state of submarine fiber optic cables connected to US telecommunications infrastructure generally; and any other related matters the Secretary decides are appropriate. The Secretary could not require any entity to hand over data for the purpose of preparing this report. The report would have to be submitted in unclassified form, with no dissemination-control markings, though it could include a classified annex. The section defines an entity as 'not trusted' if the Secretary determines the entity poses an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States, or to the security and safety of United States persons, based solely on one or more of the determinations described in paragraphs (1) through (4) of section 2(c) of the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019 (47 U.S.C. 1601(c)); an entity is 'trusted' if the Secretary has not made that determination about it; and 'Secretary' means the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information.
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1. Assessment of trans-Atlantic submarine fiber optic cable (a) Report Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the heads of other Federal departments and agencies as necessary, shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report containing an assessment of the value, cost, and feasibility of a trans-Atlantic submarine fiber optic cable connecting the contiguous United States, the United States Virgin Islands, Ghana, and Nigeria, to enhance the national security of the United States. (b) Elements The report required by subsection (a) shall include an assessment of— (1) the digital security, national security, and economic opportunities associated with a trans-Atlantic submarine fiber optic cable described in subsection (a); (2) the lifespan of submarine fiber optic cables currently connecting the United States Virgin Islands to the contiguous United States; (3) the current security of telecommunications between the contiguous United States and the United States Virgin Islands; (4) the readiness of telecommunications infrastructure in the United States Virgin Islands to support a trans-Atlantic submarine fiber optic cable described in subsection (a); (5) the potential for engagement with trusted entities in the deployment of a trans-Atlantic submarine fiber optic cable described in subsection (a), and the associated geopolitical and economic advantages; (6) the potential connectivity opportunities to maximize investments in the United States economy through the use of a trans-Atlantic submarine fiber optic cable described in subsection (a); (7) the value, cost, and feasibility of establishing a data center and high-security cloud services facility, with independent power generation, in the United States Virgin Islands for communications of the United States Africa Command, communications of the United States Special Operations Command, and national security communications; (8) the state of submarine fiber optic cables connected to United States telecommunications infrastructure; and (9) any other related matters the Secretary determines are appropriate. (c) No mandatory data collection The Secretary may not require any entity to provide data for purposes of preparing the report required by subsection (a). (d) Form The report required by subsection (a) shall be submitted in unclassified form without any designation relating to dissemination control, but may include a classified annex. (e) Definitions In this section: (1) Not trusted The term not trusted means, with respect to an entity, that the entity is determined by the Secretary to pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States, or the security and safety of United States persons, based solely on one or more determination described under paragraphs (1) through (4) of section 2(c) of the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019 ( 47 U.S.C. 1601(c) ). (2) Secretary The term Secretary means the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information. (3) Trusted The term trusted means, with respect to an entity, that the Secretary has not determined that the entity is not trusted.