DA 26-784 
                                                         Released:  July 27, 2026 
                                                                               
  OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS ANNOUNCES THE EFFECTIVE DATE 
          FOR CERTAIN SUBMARINE CABLE RULES AND COMMENT  
                      DATES ON THE FURTHER NOTICE 
                                        
                   OI Docket No. 24-523, MD Docket No. 24-524 
 
Comment Deadline: August 26, 2026 
Reply Comment Deadline: September 25, 2026 
 
      Submarine Cable Second Report and Order Effective Date of Certain Rules.  On June 25, 2026, 
the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) adopted the Submarine Cable Second Report 
and Order and Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.1  A summary of the Second Report and 
Order was published in the Federal Register on July 27, 2026, and the following rules will become 
effective on September 25, 2026.2  The Commission will publish a notice when the remaining rules 
become effective.   
 
         •  47 CFR § 0.351(a)(16) 
         •  47 CFR §§ 1.70001(i)-(p) 
         •  47 CFR § 1.70002(e) 
         •  Non-substantive changes to 47 CFR §§ 1.70007(u) and (w)3 
 
      Compliance with the remaining rules adopted or modified in the Submarine Cable Report and 
Order, which may contain new or modified information collection requirements will not be required until 
the completion of the review of any information collections by the Office of Management and Budget 
under the Paperwork Reduction Act and the announcement by the Office of International Affairs of the 
effective date of the new rules.4  The Office of International Affairs will announce the effective date for 
those rules by notice in the Federal Register and by subsequent public notice. 
 
      Submarine Cable Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.  The Second Further Notice 

                         
1 Review of Submarine Cable Landing License Rules and Procedures to Assess Evolving National Security, Law 
Enforcement, Foreign Policy, and Trade Policy Risks; Amendment of the Schedule of Application Fees Set Forth in 
Sections 1.1102 through 1.1109 of the Commission’s Rules, OI Docket No. 24-523, released June 30, 2026 
(Submarine Cable Second Report and Order and Second Further Notice). 
2 Federal Communications Commission, Review of Submarine Cable Landing License Rules and Procedures To 
Assess Evolving National Security, Law Enforcement, Foreign Policy, and Trade Policy Risks, Final Rule, 91 Fed. 
Reg. 46844 (July 27, 2026) (Second Report and Order Federal Register Summary). 
3 Submarine Cable Second Report and Order and Second Further Notice at 131-32, Amendatory instruction 10. 
4 See id. at 118, para. 253. 

 

                        Federal Communications Commission            DA 26-784 
 

seeks comment on the routine conditions the Commission should consider to improve its oversight of 
Submarine Line Terminal Equipment (SLTE) owners and operators.5  The Commission set deadlines for 
filing comments and reply comments at 30 and 60 days, respectively, after publication of the Second 
Further Notice in the Federal Register.6  A summary of the Second Further Notice was published in the 
Federal Register on July 27, 2026.7   
       
      Accordingly, comments must be filed on or before Wednesday, August 26, 2026, and reply 
comments must be filed on or before Friday, September 25, 2026.  The Second Further Notice contains 
the comment filing instructions.8 
 
      For further information, contact Svantje Swider of the Office of International Affairs, at (202) 
418-0772, or Svantje.Swider@fcc.gov. 
 
       


                         
5 Id. at 114, para. 233. 
6 Id. at 1. 
7 Federal Communications Commission, Review of Submarine Cable Landing License Rules and Procedures to 
Assess Evolving National Security, Law Enforcement, Foreign Policy, and Trade Policy Risks, Proposed Rule, 91 
Fed. Reg. 46888 (July 27, 2026) (Second Further Notice Federal Register Summary). 
8 Submarine Cable Second Report and Order and Second Further Notice at 117-18, paras. 244, 247. 

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