US lawmakers are considering a bipartisan bill to protect undersea communications cables, co-sponsored by Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Republican Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming. The document, among other things, stipulates the creation of a military alliance, imposes sanctions on foreign parties allegedly responsible for the attacks, and provides the United States with additional resources to protect and repair the cables, Bloomberg reported.
The bill would require reporting to Congress within six months on alleged subversive activities by China and Russia, among other matters.
Lawmakers believe the United States should lead global efforts to protect undersea networks. The Internet is transmitted through about 500 undersea fiber optic cables, which are vulnerable to damage from natural disasters and man-made threats. For this purpose, it is proposed to create a military alliance based on NATO. The Transatlantic Partnership operates more than 1,000 large warships and regularly conducts major exercises and operations.
Along with NATO warships, the alliance could include combat-ready Pacific navies from Japan, South Korea, Australia, Singapore and many other countries, the agency wrote.
It is also planned to protect cables using satellite communication systems, increase the number of security forces and tighten physical barriers.
