According to a filing it submitted to the FCC, Verizon (NYSE: VZ) has applied to install an undersea fiber optic cable across the Pacific Ocean. The official description refers to the request as an “Application for a License to Land and Operate a Domestic, Private Fiber-Optic Submarine Cable System Connecting Makaha, Hawaii and Morro Bay, California, to be known as the ‘California-Hawaii S1 Cable System.'”
FCC has not yet approved the project as it is analyzing its impact on national security. There has already been speculation by defense analysts that Chinese repair ships may be gleaning digital information from fiber cable systems. The State Department has also expressed concerns that in times of combat, submarine cables could become easy targets.
Verizon has indicated to the FCC that the intent of the project is to provide “high capacity connectivity and backhaul for traffic between Hawaii and the continental United States and is a valuable option for transpacific capacity and diversity.”
If allowed to proceed, the Hawaiian section of the submarine cable project will be co-owned by the Hawaiian Telcom Services Company (Hawtel). Verizon added that other carriers will be able to lease space and has asked for an exemption from common carrier regulations since access will not be made available to the general public.
Reader Interactions