Cable Landing Licenses Granted since 2016
To land or operate a submarine cable in the United States, submarine cable operators must obtain a cable landing license from the FCC. The FCC’s International Bureau, Telecommunications and Analysis Division (TAD) issues licenses to own and operate submarine cables and associated landing stations in the United States pursuant to the Commission’s authority under the Cable Landing License Act of 1921 and Executive Order No. 10530. Before granting the application, the FCC coordinates with the Department of State and any other agencies, as needed.
For information regarding pending applications for new cable landing licenses or renewals that the International Bureau has reviewed and placed on the Accepted for Filing Public Notice (AFF PN), please visit Pending Submarine Cable Applications.
Granted Applications by Date of Public Notice | Name of Cable | Applicant & | Location | Grant Public Notice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Grace Hopper | GU Holdings Inc. SCL-LIC-20210225-00014 | Application filed for a license to construct, land, and operate a non-common carrier fiber-optic submarine cable system connecting the United States to the United Kingdom and Spain. | Grant: 1/12/2022 DA 22-44 |
2 | Echo | Edge Cable Holdings USA, LLC SCL-LIC-20210329-00020 | Application filed for a license to construct, land, and operate a non-common carrier fiber-optic submarine cable system connecting California, Guam, Singapore, and Indonesia. | Grant: 1/18/2022 DA 22-64 |
3 | Pacific Light Cable Network (PLCN) | GU Holdings Inc. SCL-LIC-20200827-00038 | Application for a license to construct, land, and operate a non-common carrier fiber-optic submarine cable system connecting the United States to Taiwan and the Philippines. | Grant: 1/26/2022 DA 22-141 |
4 | Neutral Networks Laredo Cable | Neutral Networks USA LLC SCL-LIC-20210930-00042 | Application filed for a license to construct, land, and operate within the United States a non-common carrier fiber-optic submarine cable network connecting Laredo, Texas and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. |
Grant: 06/16/2022 DA 22-646 |
5 | Hawaiian Islands Fiber Network (HIFN) | Hawaiian Telcom, Inc. SCL-LIC-20220111-00003 | Application filed for authority to renew the cable landing license for the Hawaiian Islands Fiber Network (HIFN or HIFN Cable) for an additional 25 years. HIFN, originally licensed in 1996, is a common carrier cable system that consists of approximately 400 miles of undersea fiber that connects and provides capacity for broadband traffic between six of the Hawaiian Islands: Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Maui, and the island of Hawaii. |
Grant: 06/16/2022 DA 22-648 |
6 | MTC Interisland Cable System (MICS) | PTI Pacifica Inc. SCL-LIC-20211013-00048 | Application filed for a new cable landing license to allow the continued operation of the MTC Interisland Cable System (MICS) for an additional 25-year term. The MICS Cable, originally licensed in 1993, is a non-common carrier fiber-optic submarine cable system that connects three islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands - Saipan, Tinian, and Rota - with each other and to Guam. |
Grant: 7/14/2022 DA 22-762 |
7 | Firmina | GU Holdings Inc. SCL-LIC-20220422-00015 | Application filed for a license to construct, land, and operate a non-common carrier fiber-optic submarine cable system connecting the United States with Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina. |
Grant: 12/20/2022 DA 22-1357 |
Granted Applications by Date of Public Notice | Name of Cable | Applicant & | Location | Grant Public Notice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Taino-Carib Cable System | AT&T Corp. SCL-LIC-20180702-00019 | Application filed for a license to renew the authority for the Taino-Carib Cable System for an additional 25-year term. The Taino-Carib cable, originally licensed in 1992, is a common carrier fiber-optic submarine cable system that links Puerto Rico with the U.S. Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands. See SCL-LIC-19920107-00005. | Grant: 2/2/2021 DA 21-113 |
2 | Amitié | Edge Cable Holdings USA, LLC SCL-LIC-20200807-00036 | Application filed for a license to land and operate a non-common carrier fiber-optic submarine cable connecting Lynn, Massachusetts, Bude, United Kingdom, and Le Porge, France. | Grant: 4/13/2021 DA 21-428 |
Granted Applications by Date of Public Notice | Name of Cable | Applicant & | Location | Grant Public Notice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Dunant | GU Holdings Inc. SCL-LIC-20190410-00015 | Application for a license to construct, land, and operate a non-common carrier fiber-optic submarine cable system connecting Virginia Beach, Virginia and Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez, France. | Grant: 3/13/2020 DA 20-347 |
2 | JUPITER | NTT America, Inc. SCL-LIC-20180517-00012 | Application filed for a license to land and operate within the United States a non-common carrier fiber-optic submarine cable system connecting Hermosa Beach, California; Cloverdale, Oregon; Maruyama and Shima, Japan; and Daet, the Philippines. | Grant: 6/23/2020 DA 20-707 |
3 | Columbus II Cable System | AT&T Corp. SCL-LIC-20190326-00010 | Application filed for a new cable landing license to allow the continued operation of the Columbus II Cable System for an additional 25-year term following the expiration of the license on October 1, 2019 (SCL-LIC-19921110-00004). Columbus II is a common carrier fiber-optic submarine cable system that links the U.S. mainland with the U.S. Virgin Islands. | Grant: 7/1/2020 DA 20-714 |
4 | Southern Cross NEXT | Pacific Carriage Limited Inc. SCL-LIC-20190809-00026 | Application filed for a license to land and operate a non-common carrier fiber optic submarine cable extending from Australia to the United States, with branching units to New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa, Tokelau, and Kiribati. | Grant: 7/08/2020 DA 20-744 |
5 | Japan-Guam-Australia (JGA) North | RTI Solutions, Inc. SCL-LIC-20181106-00035 | Application filed for a license to land and operate within the United States a non-common carrier fiber-optic submarine cable networking connecting Guam and Japan. | Grant: 7/14/2020 DA 20-789 |
6 | Japan-Guam-Australia (JGA) South | GU Holdings Inc. SCL-LIC-20190502-00016 | Application filed for a license to construct, land, and operate a non-common carrier fiber-optic submarine cable system connecting Guam and Australia. | Grant: 7/14/2020 DA 20-798 |
7 | Americas-I Cable System (Americas-1) | AT&T Corp. SCL-LIC-20190326-00009 | Application filed for a new cable landing license to allow the continued operation of the Americas-1 Cable System for an additional 25-year term following the expiration of the license on September 1, 2019 (SCL-LIC-19921110-00002). Americas-1 is a common carrier fiber-optic submarine cable system that links the U.S. mainland with the U.S. Virgin Islands. | Grant: 7/17/2020 DA 20-758 |
Granted Applications by Date of Public Notice | Name of Cable | Applicant & | Location | Grant Public Notice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | AU-Aleutian | GCI Communication Corp. SCL-LIC-20171031-00024
| Application for a license to land and operate in the United States a non-common carrier fiber-optic submarine cable system extending between Kodiak, Larsen Bay, Chignik, Perryville, Sand Point, King Cove, Cold Bay, Akutan, Dutch Harbor, and False Pass. | 6/17/19 Grant PN: 6/13/19 |
2 | VILink Submarine Cable System | ATN Undersea Cable Corporation SCL-LIC-20180417-00008 | Application for a license to operate a non-common carrier fiber-optic submarine telecommunications cable extending between the islands of St. Thomas and St. Croix in the United States Virgin Islands (USVI). | 7/19/19 Grant PN: 7/12/19 |
3 | KetchCan1 Submarine Fiber Cable System | City of Ketchikan dba Ketchikan Public Utilities SCL-LIC-20190718-00020 | Application for a license to construct, land, and operate a private, non-common carrier fiber-optic submarine cable system connecting Ketchikan, Alaska with Prince Rupert, British Colombia, Canada. | 9/4/19
|
4 | Havfrue | America Europe Connect 2 USA, Inc. SCL-LIC-20180511-00010 | Application for a license to land and operate within the United States a non-common carrier fiber-optic submarine cable system connecting Wall, New Jersey; Blaabjerg, Denmark; Old Head Beach, Leckanvy, Ireland; and Kristiansand, Norway. | 9/9/19 Grant PN: 9/6/19 |
5 | Curie | GU Holdings Inc. SCL-LIC-20181008-00034 | Application for a license to construct, land, and operate a non-common carrier fiber-optic submarine cable system connecting Los Angeles, California and Valparaiso, Chile. | 9/27/19 Grant PN: 9/20/19 |
Granted Applications by Date of Public Notice | Name of Cable | Applicant & | Location | Grant Public Notice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Crosslake Fiber Cable | Crosslake Fiber USA LP SCL-LIC-20180216-00002
| Application filed for a license to land and operate in the United States a non-common carrier fiber-optic submarine cable system connecting Toronto, Ontario, with Cambria, New York. | 9/26/2018 Grant PN: 5/5/18 |
Granted Applications by Date of Public Notice | Name of Cable | Applicant & | Location | Grant Public Notice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | New Cross-Pacific Cable | Microsoft Infrastructure Group, LLC SCL-LIC-20151104-00029 | Application for a license to land and operate a non-common carrier fiber-optic submarine cable network connecting the continental United States, China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Taiwan. | 01/12/17 Grant PN: 01/13/17 |
2 | Southeast Asia-US Cable | GTI Corporation SCL-LIC-20150626-00016 | Application for a license to land and operate a non-common carrier fiber-optic submarine cable network connecting the continental United States, Indonesia, the Philippines, Guam, and Hawaii. | 01/12/17 Grant PN: 01/13/17 |
3 | Atisa Cable | DOCOMO Pacific, Inc. SCL-LIC-20160314-00008 | Application for a license to construct, land and operate within the United States, a non-common carrier fiber-optic submarine cable system connecting Guam with Saipan, Rota, and Tinian in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). | 02/17/17 Grant PN: 02/23/17 |
4 | Quintillion Cable | Quintillion Subsea Operations, LLC SCL-LIC-20160325-00009 | Application for a license to construct, land and operate a non-common carrier fiber-optic submarine cable network, wholly within the United States, extending between Nome, Alaska and Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. | 3/27/17 Grant PN: 4/3/17 |
5 | MAREA Cable | Edge Cable Holdings USA, LLC SCL-LIC-20160525-00012 | Application for a license to land and operate a non-common carrier fiber-optic submarine cable network connecting Virginia Beach, Virginia with Bilbao, Spain. | 5/2/17 Grant PN: 05/4/17 |
6 | BRUSA Cable | Telefonica International Wholesale Services USA, Inc. SCL-LIC-20160330-00011 | Application for a license to land and operate a non-common carrier fiber-optic submarine cable network connecting Virginia Beach, Virginia; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Fortaleza and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. | 8/4/17 Grant PN: 8/11/17 |
7 | Hawaiki Submarine Cable | Hawaiki Submarine Cable USA LLC SCL-LIC-20160906-00019 | Application for a license to land and operate a non-common carrier fiber-optic submarine cable between the continental United States, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, and American Samoa. | 12/20/17 Grant PN: 12/21/17 |
Granted Applications by Date of Public Notice | Name of Cable | Applicant & | Location | Grant Public Notice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | FASTER Cable | GU Holdings Inc. SCL-LIC-20150626-00015 | Application for a license to land and operate a non-common carrier fiber-optic submarine cable, the FASTER Cable System, extending between the continental United States, Japan, and Taiwan. | 5/31/16 Grant PN: 6/2/16 |
2 | Seabras-1 Cable | Seabras 1 USA, LLC SCL-LIC-20160115-00002 | Application for a license to land and operate a non-common carrier fiber-optic submarine cable network connecting the continental United States and Brazil. | 11/10/16 Grant PN: 11/18/16 |
3 | Monet Cable System | GU Holdings Inc. SCL-LIC-20150408-00008 | Application for a license to operate a non-common carrier fiber-optic submarine telecommunications cable extending between the continental United States and Brazil. | 12/09/16 Grant PN: 12/15/16 |
Granted Applications by Date of Public Notice | Name of Cable | Applicant & | Location | Grant Public Notice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | St. Thomas-St. Croix Cable System | AT&T Corp. SCL-LIC-20220114-00004 | Application filed for a new cable landing license to allow the continued operation of the St. Thomas-St. Croix Cable System for an additional 25-year term following the expiration of the current license on April 30, 2022 (SCL-LIC-19940815-00003). The St. Thomas-St. Croix Cable System is a non-common carrier fiber-optic submarine cable system that connects Magens Bay, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands and Butler Bay, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. | Grant: 04/12/2023 DA 23-319 |
2 | BAHAMAS II Cable System | Bahamas Telecommunications Company Limited SCL-LIC-20220422-00016 | The Bahamas Telecommunications Company Limited filed an application for authority to renew the cable landing license for the BAHAMAS II Cable System (Bahamas II Cable) (SCL-LIC-19960329-00128, SCL-MOD-19980303-00004) for an additional 25 years. The Bahamas II Cable's initial 25 year license expired on April 1, 2022. The Bahamas II Cable connects Vero Beach, Florida to Nassau, the Bahamas, with an intermediate point at Eight Mile Rock, the Bahamas. It is currently operated on a common carrier basis. | Grant: 08/17/2023 DA 23-713 |
3 | Atlantic Crossing 1 (AC-1) Cable System | Camelot Landing, LLC SCL-LIC-20230222-00005 | Global Crossing Telecommunications, Inc. (GCTI) filed an application for a new cable landing license to allow the continued operation of the Atlantic Crossing 1 (AC-1) submarine cable system (SCL-LIC-19970506-00003, SCL-MOD-19971223-00014) for an additional 25-year term following the expiration of the current license on May 1, 2023. On July 25, 2023, GCTI filed an amendment to change the applicant from GCTI to Camelot Landing, LLC (Camelot), pursuant to a pro forma assignment of GCTI's interests in the cable landing license for the AC-1 cable system to Camelot (SCL-AMD-20230725-00020). The AC-1 system, originally licensed in 1997, is a non-common carrier submarine cable system connecting Shirley, New York (also known as the Brookhaven, New York landing station); Sylt, Germany; Beverwijk, Noord-Holland, the Netherlands; and Whitesand Bay, United Kingdom. | Grant: 10/10/2023 DA 23-945 |
4 | JUNO Cable System | Seren Juno Network America, Inc. SCL-LIC-20221208-00037 | Seren Juno Network Co., Ltd. (Seren Juno) and Seren Juno Network America, Inc. (Seren Juno America) (together, Applicants) filed an application for a license to land and operate within United States territory a non-common carrier private fiber-optic submarine cable network connecting Grover Beach, California; Harbour Pointe, Washington; and Shima and Minamiboso, Japan. |
Grant: 11/15/2023 DA 23-1090 |
5 | AU-Aleutian Submarine Cable System | GCI Communication Corp. SCL-MOD-20230803-00022 | GCI Communication Corp. (GCICC) filed an application for authority to modify the cable landing license for the AU-Aleutian Submarine Cable System (AU-Aleutian), SCL-LIC-20171031-00024, to include two new cable segments with new cable landings in Port Lions and Ouzinkie, Alaska. |
12/06/2023 DA 23-1142 |
Granted Applications by Date of Public Notice | Name of Cable | Applicant & | Location | Grant Public Notice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Airraq Submarine Cable System | Unicom, Inc. SCL-LIC-20230718-00023 | Unicom, Inc. (Unicom) filed an application for a license to land and operate a non-common carrier fiber-optic submarine cable system connecting Dillingham, Platinum, and Eek, Alaska. The cable system will be known as the Airraq submarine cable system (Airraq). | Grant: 04/11/2024 DA 24-349 |