Cinia and Far North Digital have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to build a US$1.15 billion fibre optic cable system linking Europe and Asia through the Arctic.

The planned 16,500-kilometre cable system will run from Japan, via the Northwest Passage, to Europe with landings in Alaska and the Canadian Arctic. European landings are planned in Norway, Finland and Ireland.

Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN), part of Nokia (HEL: NOKIA), has been tasked with taking the lead on project design and installation. The target for in-service cable is by the end of the year 2025.

Ari-Jussi Knaapila CEO of Cinia, said: “There is an increasing demand for secure and fast international connectivity with new diverse routes. Spanning three of the world’s largest internet adopting continents the Far North Fiber will be a true global venture.”

In addition, True North Global Networks LP, a Canadian affiliate of Far North Digital, is to engage with Indigenous organisations and local governments to develop a number of branch landings in Arctic Canada.

Guy Houser, Chief Technical Officer of Far North Digital, said: “This cable system is more than a way to speed and improve the security of telecommunications between nations, it is a bridge over the digital divide, providing Northern communities with better opportunities for sustainable self-determination through economic development, enhanced educational options, and improved access to healthcare.

“Furthermore, it will serve as a platform that offers science an unparalleled ability to conduct research into climate change.”