Governments face growing pressure to regain digital sovereignty without discouraging investment. This article outlines ten evidence-based steps to help regulators balance national interests with fair competition in the submarine cable industry, from data-driven policymaking and transparent permits to resilience measures and equitable regulatory fees. A roadmap for protecting connectivity and strengthening sovereignty.

Regulatory fees serve several purposes: to compensate states for the use of their maritime space, to ensure environmental protection, and to support administrative processes related to the protection of submarine cables, including instances of conflict with other new seabed infrastructure.

In submarine cable damage litigation, judges frequently question the exorbitant costs of maintenance operations. Surprisingly, from 30% and up to 70% of the total average repair cost (USD 1.5-2 million) stems from fuel expenses for vessel transit from port bases to fault locations, rather than the repair itself. This raises a critical consideration: Could alternative maintenance vessels in closer proximity have reduced fuel consumption and costs?

When it comes to submarine cables, marine maintenance contracts are critical to ensuring the reliability and longevity of these vital ...

Writing legal opinions is a pillar of legal practice, requiring not only a deep understanding of the law, also strong analytical and...

Cable landing agreements are critical to the deployment and operation of submarine communications cables when many parties are involved. Here are three things you need to know about them...

2024 has been a pivotal year for the launch of several international initiatives in the field of submarine cables. In this report, we...

Recent statistics presented at the plenary session of the International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) 1 continue to clearly attribute the cause of telecom submarine cable failures to human activity, accounting for 85% of all cases, with fishing followed by anchoring as the main factor...

Today, Over-The-Top (OTT) companies such as Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft have a clear dominance in most submarine cable routes around the world, whether through their own infrastructure, consortiums or even long-term agreements such as fibre or capacity Indefeasible Rights of Use (IRU) agreements. With recent announcements of new long OTT cable systems in almost every ocean, the gap between OTTs and the telcos is widening every quarter.

Force majeure clauses are vital in submarine cable contracts, adapting to specific risks and jurisdictions to ensure smooth operations.

Whenever there is a new submarine cable consortium project, the legal and regulatory analysis is initiated by the prospective landing...

Greenwashing is a marketing strategy in which companies exaggerate or misrepresent their commitment to environmental sustainability,...

It is imperative that a company has efficient processes and regular checks in place to comply with the changing regulatory framework in...

Submarine cables continue to play a key role as critical global communications infrastructure. Accordingly, discussions and regulatory...

After successful service, carriers may face non-payment issues due, including bankruptcy, payment delays, or intentional debt evasion.

Maritime Spatial Planning or MSP initiatives may consist of a set of frameworks and processes used to manage and regulate human...

Understanding key aspects of submarine cable capacity IRU agreements. Here are some guidelines that salespeople and lawyers should follow...

Yes, indeed. This straightforward question involves reflection on whether a submarine cable owner has any scope for action when its...