Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Saturday, Jul 26, 2025

Facebook, Amazon seek US's approval for undersea data cable

Facebook, Amazon seek US's approval for undersea data cable

Facebook and Amazon are reportedly seeking approval from the US government, for operating a new undersea data cable from California

Tech giants Facebook and Amazon are reportedly seeking approval from the US government, for operating a new undersea data cable from California all the way to the Philippines, after former partner China Mobile agreed to step out of the plan. The two firms have communicated their ideas to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the US, informing the authority that they intend to start the cable’s commercial operation by late next year. They have also added that once functional, the project will be able to provide a much higher data connection capacity, especially on routes where demand continues to increase each year.

Towards A Better Data Connectivity


The filing has been made jointly by the two companies, and works to detail how the cable will provide support to Facebook’s many apps, as well as allow for Amazon and its affiliates, to get their hands on a capacity that will help boost the firm’s cloud offerings, and connect all its data centres along the route. A spokesperson for Facebook has said that both parties involved in the project consider it to be their best bet, and feel that it would help them achieve their goal of providing connectivity to a greater number of people, by restructuring the system’s ownership.

The United States has been rather vocal about its concerns regarding China’s participation in handling network traffic on the route (or rather, on any route in general), stemming mainly from apprehensions about a potential espionage. The world has some 300 subsea cables, which together account for 99 percent of the global data traffic.

Made Changes To The Original Plan


Facebook and Amazon were earlier supposed to develop an undersea data cable from San Francisco to Hong Kong in partnership with China Mobile, under the Bay to Bay Express Cable System, but ended up withdrawing the application for the same in September 2020.


Prior to that, the FCC had approved contemporary Google’s request to use a part of the undersea telecommunications cable between Asia (excluding Hong Kong) and the US back in April 2020. The cable is operational between Taiwan and the US as of now. In 2019, the FCC had voted to deny China Mobile the right to provide its services to users in the US, citing espionage risks. The Hong Kong portion of the cable is currently not in use, after the companies let go of their proposal to utilize it, in August 2020.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Qatar Airways Clears Backlog of Passengers Following Missile Threats
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
×