U.S. to Study Building New Trans-Atlantic Fiber Cable Linking Mainland, USVI, Ghana, and Nigeria

This legislation directs the Secretary of Commerce to spend the next year conducting a major feasibility study. The goal? To assess the value, cost, and security of building a brand-new submarine fiber optic cable connecting the continental U.S., the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), Ghana, and Nigeria. This isn’t a bill to build the cable yet—it’s a bill to do the deep-dive homework on whether it makes sense, what it would cost, and what the payoff would be for everyone involved.

The Digital Lifeline: What This Study Covers

Think of this as a strategic move to upgrade our digital infrastructure and strengthen ties with key partners in West Africa. The Commerce Department needs to look at the security implications—both digital and national—of creating this new data highway. They also have to weigh the economic benefits. For everyday folks, this is about resilience. The study specifically requires an assessment of how long existing cables connecting the USVI are expected to last and how secure those current links are. If you’ve ever had your internet go down for days after a storm, you know why redundancy and security matter. This is about future-proofing critical connections.

The USVI: A New Secure Hub?

One of the most interesting parts of this assessment focuses squarely on the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Secretary must analyze whether the USVI’s current infrastructure is even ready to handle the landing point for such a massive cable. More significantly, the bill requires an analysis of the cost and feasibility of building a dedicated, secure data center in the USVI specifically for U.S. military commands, like U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) and U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM). If this moves forward, the USVI could become a major strategic communications hub, bringing jobs and significant infrastructure investment to the islands.

Who Gets the Contract? The 'Trusted' Entity Question

When it comes to building and deploying the cable, the study must explore partnering with “trusted” entities. The bill defines a “not trusted” entity based on criteria from the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019, which generally targets companies deemed a national security risk. This provision is the bill’s way of ensuring that if the cable moves forward, the U.S. avoids relying on potentially compromised foreign suppliers or partners. For businesses in the telecommunications and infrastructure space, this is a clear signal that any future construction will prioritize partners with a clean bill of health from a national security perspective.

The Fine Print on Data Collection

While the Commerce Secretary is tasked with producing this comprehensive report within one year, there’s a key limitation: the Secretary cannot force any entity to hand over data to complete the study. They can ask, but they can’t mandate disclosure. This means the quality and completeness of the final assessment will rely heavily on the voluntary cooperation of telecommunications companies and other private sector players. If key players decide not to participate, the final report—and the subsequent decision on whether to build the cable—could be based on incomplete information.