(a) Cable landing license requirements. A cable landing license must be obtained prior to landing a submarine cable that connects:

(1) The continental United States with any foreign country;

(2) Alaska, Hawaii, or the U.S. territories or possessions with—

(i) A foreign country;

(ii) The continental United States; or

(iii) Each other; or

(3) Points within the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, or a territory or possession in which the cable is laid in areas beyond the U.S. territorial waters, which extend 12 nautical miles seaward from the coastline.

(b) [Reserved]

(c) Character presumptive disqualifying condition—(1) Presumptive disqualifying condition. An applicant will be presumed not to possess the requisite character qualifications to become a cable landing licensee if the applicant has within the last 20 years:

(i) Materially violated the Cable Landing License Act, 47 U.S.C. 34 through 39, where the violation—

(A) Was not remediated with an adjudication involving a consent decree and/or compliance plan;

(B) Resulted in a loss of Commission license or authorization; or

(C) Was found by the Commission to be intentional;

(ii) Committed national security-related violations of the Communications Act, 47 U.S.C. 151 et seq., or Commission rules as identified in Commission orders, including but not limited to violations of rules concerning the Covered List that the Commission maintains on its website pursuant to the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019 (Secure Networks Act), 47 U.S.C. 1601 through 1609;

(iii) Made materially false statements or engaged in fraudulent conduct concerning national security or the Cable Landing License Act;

(iv) Been subject to an adjudicated finding of making false statements or engaging in fraudulent conduct concerning national security before another U.S. Government agency; or

(v) Materially failed to comply with the terms of a cable landing license, including but not limited to a condition requiring compliance with a mitigation agreement with the Executive Branch agencies, including the Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the United States Telecommunications Services Sector (Committee), where the violation—

(A) Was not remediated with an adjudication involving a consent decree and/or compliance plan;

(B) Resulted in a loss of Commission license or authorization; or

(C) Was found by the Commission to be intentional.

(2) Applicability. The presumptive disqualifying condition shall apply to the following applications:

(i) Initial application. An initial application for a cable landing license that is filed after November 26, 2025;

(ii) Application filed by licensees whose cable landing license is granted after November 26, 2025. An application for modification, assignment, transfer of control, or renewal or extension of a cable landing license that is filed after November 26, 2025, by a licensee whose initial application for a cable landing license is granted after such date; and

(iii) Application filed by licensees whose cable landing license is granted prior to November 26, 2025. An application for modification, assignment, transfer of control, or renewal or extension of a cable landing license that is filed after November 26, 2025, by a licensee whose cable landing license was or is granted prior to such date and that does not exhibit any of the criteria in paragraphs (c)(1)(i) through (v) of this section prior to such date.

(3) Presumption. An applicant subject to paragraphs (c)(1) and (2) of this section can overcome the adverse presumption only by establishing that the applicant has the requisite character, despite its past conduct. An applicant need not disclose pending investigations, but rather must only disclose violations as preliminarily or finally determined by the Commission, and as adjudicated by another U.S. Government agency or a court in the United States.

(d) State Department coordination. Cable landing licenses shall be granted or revoked by the Commission after obtaining the approval of the Secretary of State and such assistance from any executive department or establishment of the Government as the Commission may deem necessary. See section 5(a) of Executive Order 10530, dated May 10, 1954.