International Cable Protection Committee Launches ‘Best Practices for Cable Protection and Resilience as Resource for Governments’

LYMINGTON, United Kingdom--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) is pleased to announce the launch of Government Best Practices for Protecting and Promoting Resilience of Submarine Telecommunications Cables to assist governments in developing laws, policies, and practices to foster the development and protection of submarine telecommunications cables, the infrastructure of the Internet. The Best Practices are now available in both English and Spanish on the public section of ICPC’s web site.

The Best Practices first set forth a set of general principles to guide governments in cable protection and resilience, including the need to focus on statistically significant risks of cable damage, and the use of regulatory frameworks to enhance geographic diversity, promote the rule of law; and promote speedy infrastructure deployment and repair. The Best Practices then identify cable damage risks and other regulatory challenges—ranging from fishing and anchoring risks to spatial separation from other marine activities to cabotage—and make specific recommendations for governmental practices to reduce risk, promote connectivity, and improve regulation.

‘As the world’s preeminent cable protection organisation, ICPC has long promoted government best practices in workshops and consultations, but it had never codified its own thinking on these issues in a public document,’ said Kent Bressie, ICPC’s International Cable Law Adviser and the principal author of the Best Practices. ‘Now, when governments seek industry views on cable protection and resilience, we can share ICPC’s views in a practical and accessible guide.’

As with ICPC’s Recommendations, the Best Practices will be updated periodically to address emerging issues in industry and in the marine environment. They may be supplemented by annexes addressing particular issues in detail, such as with fish aggregation devices, for which ICPC’s FAD Working Group is developing more detailed best practices.

Forthcoming Webinar. To assist ICPC Members in understanding the Best Practices and how they might be used in discussions with governments, ICPC will host a forthcoming webinar.

About the ICPC. The ICPC is the world’s premier submarine cable protection organisation. It was formed in 1958 to promote the protection of submarine cables against human-made and natural hazards. It provides a forum for the exchange of technical, legal, and environmental information about submarine cables and engages with stakeholders and governments globally to promote submarine cable protection. The ICPC has over 170 Members from over 60 nations, including cable operators, owners, manufacturers, industry service providers, as well as governments. For further information about the ICPC, see www.iscpc.org and www.linkedin.com/company/icpc-ltd/.