Information Collections Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission
Published Date: 2/10/2026
Notice
Summary
The FCC is asking the public and businesses to review and comment on some paperwork they collect, especially forms about submarine cable licenses. They want to make these forms easier to understand and less of a hassle, especially for small businesses. Comments are due by April 13, 2026, so don’t miss your chance to help shape the rules and save time and money!
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 2 costs, 2 mixed.
Revised Submarine Cable Application Forms
The FCC will revise submarine cable application forms and add new forms including a Foreign Adversary Annual Report, One-Time Covered List Certification, and One-Time Cybersecurity and Physical Security Certification. The docket estimates 429 respondents with 472 responses, an estimated total annual burden of 14,180 hours and total annual cost of $4,354,490 for these collections.
Foreign-Adversary Ownership Restrictions
The FCC adopted definitions and presumptions that preclude applications from applicants owned by, controlled by, or subject to direction of a foreign adversary and will presume denial where an applicant seeks to land a cable in a foreign adversary country. The rules also bar certain IRU or capacity lease arrangements that would let a foreign-adversary-controlled entity install, own, or manage Submarine Line Terminal Equipment (SLTE) on a U.S. landing.
Changes to Annual Capacity Reporting
The FCC replaced the Cable Operator Report with a single Capacity Holder Report and requires Filing Entities to report domestic cable capacity, identify sales/leases/purchases of fiber pairs or spectrum (including U.S. and foreign landing points and the entity that manages them), and provide certain SLTE information. The collection estimates 133 respondents, 266 responses, total annual burden of 2,793 hours, and total annual cost of $12,000.
Opportunity to Comment by April 13, 2026
The FCC is asking the public and businesses to comment on its information collections; written comments must be submitted on or before April 13, 2026. If you are a business or other stakeholder, this is your chance to suggest ways to reduce paperwork burdens and shape the revised forms and reporting rules.
ICFS Cloud Transition and Interim Requirements
The FCC transitioned its International Communications Filing System (ICFS) to a new cloud-based platform in June 2025 and will submit revised electronic forms to OMB for approval; until those new forms are approved, submarine cable applicants must file current forms and provide additional information as an attachment in ICFS. This may impose interim extra filing steps for applicants and licensees.
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