S.Amdt. 6198

SA 6198, submitted by Mr. Warnock and Mr. Kennedy, aims to add a new section to bill S. 4784. This addition requires the Secretary of Commerce to produce a report assessing a trans-Atlantic submarine fiber optic cable.

The purpose of this amendment is to evaluate the feasibility, cost, and value of a cable connecting Nigeria, Ghana, the United States Virgin Islands, and the contiguous United States to improve U.S. national security.

Report Requirements

The Secretary must submit this report to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation within one year. The report must cover the following:

• Security and Economy: Assessments of digital security, national security, and economic opportunities, as well as geopolitical advantages of working with trusted entities.
• Infrastructure: The current security and readiness of telecommunications in the United States Virgin Islands, and the lifespan of existing cables connecting them to the contiguous United States.
• Facilities: The cost and value of creating a high-security cloud services facility and data center with independent power in the United States Virgin Islands for national security and military communications (specifically for United States Special Operations Command and United States Africa Command).
• General Status: The state of submarine fiber optic cables connected to U.S. infrastructure.

Key Constraints

• Data Collection: The Secretary is prohibited from requiring any entity to provide data for the report.
• Format: The report must be unclassified, though it may include a classified annex.