A new submarine internet cable will connect Europe and Asia, taking an unconventional route through the famous Northwest Passage.
According to a memorandum of understanding signed by the US telecommunications operator Far North Digital and its Finnish counterpart Cinia, the Far North Fiber will stretch 16.500 km under the sea, docking in Norway, Finland and Ireland, Alaska and Japan.
By avoiding longer trips and cross-connections with terrestrial networks, the new fiber optic cable is expected to significantly reduce the optical distance between Asia and Europe, with positive effects on capacity and latency.
The Comparison Pro has asked the duo to confirm the additional capacity the cable will provide.
An atypical course
The Northwest Passage is a famous sea route that connects the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean through the dangerous Arctic Archipelago.
According to the Britannica entry, the quest to navigate the passage was "one of the world's most serious maritime challenges," a challenge that has taken hundreds of years to overcome due to the inhospitable conditions.
Traditionally, the submarine network cables connecting Europe and Asia pass through the Suez Canal. The alternative is to cross the United States connecting to terrestrial networks, but this method increases latency and introduces additional points of failure. Far North Fiber, however, will take a whole new approach.
Although a handful of submarine cables have already been laid in Arctic waters (at least one extends even further north than this), the new cable will be the first to cross the Northwest Passage, which will almost certainly pose significant challenges from the beginning. technical point of view and logistical point of view.
“There is a growing demand for safe and fast international connectivity with new and diverse routes. Covering three of the last continents in the world to adopt the Internet, Far North Fiber will be a truly global company, ”said Ari-Jussi Knaapila, CEO of Cinia.
At this point, Cinia and Far North Digital estimate that the new cable will enter service in 2025, but in reality the situation will not be clarified until construction begins.
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