Finnish network solutions provider Cinia has partnered with Japanese infrastructure firm, Arteria Networks to build a fibre optic cable system linking Europe and Asia through the Arctic region.
Arteria has joined the existing team of Cinia and Far North Digital as the Far North Fiber project’s Japanese partner.
The joint network 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. The planned 14,000km cable system will be able to reduce the optical distance between Asia and Europe, thus minimising signal latency.
It is predicted that the cable, which has a projected cost estimate of approximately €1bn, will be ready by the end of the year 2025. Alcatel Submarine Networks has been chosen as the lead engineering, procurement and construction partner for the project.
Ari-Jussi Knaapila, CEO at Cinia said: ‘Far North Fiber will be the first multi-continental cable system and the first Pan-Arctic system. Cinia is very pleased to have all three continents represented in the development team, and I warmly welcome Arteria to join the project with Cinia and Far North Digital.’
Koji Kabumoto, representative director, president andCEO of Arteria added: ‘The Far North Fiber project is an epoch-making project to build the last remaining submarine cable route connecting Europe with Japan and Asia at the lowest latency and will greatly contribute to the further development of the digital infrastructure environment in Japan regions such as Hokkaido. In addition, the new international network realised by the Far North Fiber will be able to create new demand for connectivity in a wide range of fields such as industry, academia, and culture in Europe, Japan, and Asia.’
