OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Establishing High-Speed, Secure Telecommunications Data Connection From the American Soil to the African Continent

Floor Speech

Date: June 22, 2023
Location: Washington, DC

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Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight my bill, H.R. 3385, the DiasporaLink Act. This critical piece of legislation would request review of the feasibility of an undersea fiber-optic telecommunications cable established between the United States and Africa linked in the Virgin Islands of the United States.

This bill offers a significant opportunity to deepen economic connections and aid American regional security by establishing high- speed, secure telecommunications data connection from the American soil to the African Continent. The U.S. territory of the Virgin Islands, which is strategically positioned in transit zones to fight transnational crime and protect U.S. national and regional security, will prove to be a mutually advantageous location.

With increased terrorism and Russian, Chinese, and other adversarial nations on the African Continent, U.S. interests, the need for direct linkage is mandatory. The United States undersea cable linked in the Virgin Islands, which is already a hub, is within our national strategic interests.

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