… arrives wrapped in the patriotic packaging of national security, but it is hard to ignore the distinct scent of economic opportunism wafting through. The official pitch is simple: stop China, Russia, and other uninvited guests from sneaking into U.S.-connected infrastructure. The unofficial pitch, less loudly advertised, is that certain American firms will now enjoy a freshly cleared runway to the fattest contracts in global connectivity without having to suffer the indignity of competing with cheaper foreign bids.

Domestically, the cheerleaders are already lined up. American-flagged repair ship operators who were quietly fading into irrelevance are now about to be knighted as strategic assets. Approved equipment suppliers who never quite managed to win on price will suddenly find themselves in the enviable position of winning by default. Even the politicians get their win, they can tell voters they’ve locked the digital front door while quietly steering a steady flow of revenue to well-connected contractors.