NORDUnet invited to present an update on the preparations for an Arctic connection at leading international conference on submarine cable connectivity held in Singapore.
Looking at our planet from space, a route through the Arctic region is clearly the shortest one between Northern Europe and East Asia. This fact is part of the basis for the work done by the Nordic NRENs, NORDUnet, and partners to establish connectivity between the two continents across the bottom of the Arctic Ocean.
“We are planning for landfall in Japan, so they are obviously an interested party, and the same can be said for other players in East Asia. Therefore, it is a welcome opportunity for us to be able to create awareness in the region regarding our plans,” says Jonny Lundin, Head of Operations, NORDUnet.
At this week’s Submarine Networks World conference in Singapore, Jonny Lundin will update participants on the progress for Polar Connect. The cable is to follow a route under the ice cap of the North Pole, almost touching Svalbard, and from there north of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, towards North America and East Asia. The initiative is driven by the Nordic NRENs and NORDUnet.
Closer to determining the optimal route
Submarine Networks World is one of the largest annual international conferences on submarine connections with 900+ attendees, 130+ speakers, and 60+ exhibitors.
“All the main stakeholders will be present,” says Jonny Lundin, who did a similar presentation at the 2023 edition of the conference:
“While last year’s presentation was general, I will be able to be more specific now on the possible routes for Polar Connect. Thanks to studies by Stockholm University and other partners, we have come closer to determining the optimal route. This is an important part of de-risking the project and the associated investments.”
Submarine cables are the most effective solution for long-range transmission of large volumes of data. But while numerous connections exist in most other waters, the Arctic is an exception. This is because the necessary technology for laying cables in the Arctic Ocean has only recently been maturing.
A strong case for an Arctic solution
Jonny Lundin admits that the groundwork behind Polar Connect has so far been done mostly on the European side:
“Well, we are closer to the European market, therefore the drivers have primarily been European. But the demand for large-volume data transmission continues to grow, not least in East Asia. Ever more video streaming, point-to-point transmission between data centers, large-scale science experiments, and other developments demand ever increasing capacity. And at the same time, we see constraints at the Suez Canal which has already become a bottleneck. On top of this should be added the current geopolitical situation with connections through Russia being out of the question. This all adds up to a strong case for connectivity through the Arctic Ocean. I look forward to reaching out to potential interested parties in East Asia. It will be a busy week!”
Head of Operations Jonny Lundin, NORDUnet, will address the Submarine Networks World 2024 conference in Singapore on September 25-26.
