House Passes Legislation Examining Undersea Cable Connecting U.S. to Africa
Seeks to establish hub in U.S. Virgin Islands
WASHINGTON, June 23, 2025 – The House of Representatives passed legislation Monday directing the Secretary of Commerce to examine 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."
The legislation, passed by voice vote, will now head to the Senate. Sponsored by Del. Stacey Plaskett, D-U.S. Virgin Islands, and cosponsored by Rep. Russ Fulcher, R-Idaho, the bill directs the Commerce Secretary to compile the unclassified form within a year of its passage.
In a statement released February, Plaskett explained that “this bill represents an opportunity to establish high-speed Internet connection to Africa and throughout the Caribbean from American soil, which will enhance America’s national security data and communication interests in the regions.
FROM SPEEDING BEAD SUMMIT
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Panel 2: Finding the State Versus Federal Balance in BEAD
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In the legislation, this Trans-Atlantic submarine fiber optic cable will intersect in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The [Act] is envisioned as both a national security instrument and a digital commerce expressway to boost America’s global, political, economic, and military advantages and influences. This act will ensure the region is not forgotten as it confronts increasing regional political instability and transnational criminal activity.”
Plaskett also noted the advantages of having the hub in the Virgin Islands, stating that “having the hub in the U.S. Virgin Islands is a significant 21st century paradigm shift; it allows our islands’ advantages, many of which have been used for the benefit of other world powers (i.e. the [Virgin Island’s] geostrategic location), to be utilized for the benefit of our people.”
Presently, there is not a direct fiber cable link between the U.S. and Africa, though several undersea cables link the U.S. to Europe, which in turn has cables running between it and several African nations.
Recent damage sustained by undersea cables have raised concerns about their vulnerability to sabotage. Those concerns were amplified when Finland accused a Russia-linked vessel of intentionally damaging fiber lines in the Baltic Sea during a December voyage.
The legislation also calls for the Commerce Secretary to examine “the value, cost, and feasibility of establishing a data center and high-security cloud services facility” in the Virgin Islands that would be used for military purposes. The facilities would be powered by “independent power generation” though the bill does not specify what that would entail.
