Requiring permissions is likely quite useful in the protection of submarine telecommunications
cables. However, these permissions also appear to be a potential impediment to the deployment
and expeditious repair of submarine telecommunications cable systems. In response to the 2009
survey, six economies reported that they require application for and grant of permits,
permissions, authorization, or licenses (“permissions”) prior to the installation of submarine
cable systems in territorial waters and, for some, even in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
that extends 200 nautical miles (370 km) from shore as prescribed by the UNCLOS. Five
economies noted that they required application for and granting of permission prior to the
repair or maintenance of submarine cable systems in territorial waters and, for some, even in
the EEZ.