European Parties to collaborate in Pan-Arctic Cable System for improved resilience and connectivity.
Digital infrastructure and services are essential elements for the future competitiveness of world economies and digital societies. Developing and deploying a strategic submarine cable infrastructure with enhanced resilience, security and route diversity is a key element in achieving this.
Cinia Oy, NORDUnet A/S, Tusass A/S, the Dutch Subsea Cable Coalition, GlobalConnect AB, and Tampnet A/S have signed a European Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), recognising the strategic value of a Pan-Arctic Cable System (PACS) and the contribution such a cable system will make to the global digital connectivity infrastructure. The MoU affirms the partners’ vested interests in establishing and executing a long-term strategy for jointly realising the development and implementation of a pan-Arctic submarine cable system.
“Joining forces with European partners in the evolution of PACS will be a significant contribution to realising NORDUnet’s long-term Polar Connect strategic goal of establishing new subsea cable routes to Asia via the Arctic”, says Valter Nordh, CEO of NORDUnet, adding that “Realising PACS would substantially contribute to the resilience of the global internet at large as well as the digital sovereignty and security of critical infrastructure access for Europe and the Nordic countries”.
The Parties will develop the project with the aspiration to have the PACS fully ready for service by the early 2030s, while some parts of system are planned to be in service earlier.
The Pan-Arctic Cable System aims to fulfil the conditions for being labelled a Cable Project of European Interest (CPEI) pursuant to the definition by the European Commission on Secure and Resilient Submarine Cable Infrastructures.
See the full press release for more information.