With internet traffic between Europe and Asia continuing to rise, direct connectivity via the Arctic Ocean becomes increasingly attractive. This will be a key message when NORDUnet CEO Valter Nordh participates in a high-level panel debate at the EuroDIG (European Dialogue on Internet Governance) conference later this month.
“Notably, direct connections via the Artic Ocean will not just benefit Europe and Asia but also relieve congestion, reduce latency, and increase resilience for the internet at a global scale,” says Valter Nordh.
The NORDUnet CEO will take part in a session on “International Connectivity: European Data-Gateway Platforms and the Global Gateway”. His fellow panelists will be Delphine Bernet-Travert, Secretary General of the IRG, David Ringrose, Head of Division at the European External Action Service, and Filipe Batista, Foreign Affairs and Development Office Director at Portugal’s ANACOM.
Via its Polar Connect initiative, NORDUnet is currently investigating two possible submarine cable system routes via the Arctic Ocean. A report on “The Economic Value of Submarine Cables in the Arctic”, written by Copenhagen Economics and commissioned by NORDUnet, has been published and will be launched at the EuroDIG.
The EuroDIG 2022 conference takes places in Trieste, Italy, June 20-22 as a physical/digital hybrid event. The panel debate with participation from Valter Nordh is scheduled for 16:30-17:30 CEST June 21. The session will be live streamed on youtube.
