H.R. 9541: Federal Investment Restrictions on Equipment from Worrisome Authoritarian Linked Locations Act

This bill would bar certain federal communications funding from going to people or organizations that buy fiber-optic cable from companies tied to a “country of concern” as defined in existing federal law. The affected funding would be any federal money provided through programs, projects, or activities run by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) or the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

What purchases would be covered

The restriction would apply if the fiber-optic cable is bought from a company owned, in whole or in part, by:

• a country of concern,
• an official of that country’s government, even in a personal capacity, or
• any person, business, or agency that is under significant control of that country.

When it would take effect

The rule would apply to fiber-optic cable purchases made 90 days after the law is enacted. Purchases made before that date would not be covered by this new restriction.

What counts as fiber-optic cable

The bill says fiber-optic cable includes both solid-core fiber and hollow-core fiber.

Practical effect

In plain terms, the bill would create a federal funding restriction aimed at preventing FCC- and NTIA-administered money from supporting fiber-optic cable purchases connected to certain foreign governments or entities linked to those governments. It would not directly ban all purchases of this equipment, but it would make some buyers ineligible for covered federal funds if they buy from the specified sources.

Relevant Companies

• AMT - American Tower, which may buy or finance telecommunications infrastructure that could use fiber-optic cable and could be affected indirectly if projects using covered federal funds change suppliers.
• CCI - Crown Castle, a communications infrastructure company that could be indirectly affected through fiber-related network deployment projects relying on federal support.
• GLW - Corning, a major supplier of fiber-optic cable and related components, which could be affected if buyers shift away from certain sourcing arrangements.
• CIEN - Ciena, a networking equipment company that may be indirectly affected by changes in fiber deployment and procurement tied to federally funded projects.
• VIAV - Viavi Solutions, which supplies testing and network tools used in fiber deployments and could be indirectly affected by procurement changes.