Melting Arctic ice spells opportunity for Far North Fiber’s internet project

The Far North Fiber project

This major reduction in sea ice has made much of the Arctic accessible for new navigable routes. This is where Far North Fiber comes in with its Northwest Passage, finding a silver lining amid our climate disaster.

The initiative includes cables stretching 14,500 km long aimed at connecting Japan and Europe via the Arctic. It is proposed by a consortium of Cinia, a Finnish company, and Far North Digital, an Alaskan company.

The Far North Fiber project aims to cut latency to 142 milliseconds and boost data transmission between Asia and Europe, supporting up to 120 terabits per second (Tbps) for express capacity and 30 Tbps for local capacity.

It also emphasizes engagement with Indigenous organizations and local governments in Arctic Canada to establish branch landings that will enhance broadband access for underserved communities in the region.

Why the Arctic?

The Arctic offers a new route for undersea cables, diverging from the heavily trafficked Atlantic and Pacific paths. As such, the European Union’s CEF Digital has invested €23 million in this project to enhance Europe’s digital infrastructure by proposing a route less vulnerable to geopolitical tensions and environmental threats.

Moreover, the region adds security for cables, with fewer concerns about disruptions due to its low seismic activity, absence of tsunamis, and harsh climate events. This stability makes the region an attractive option for safeguarding global internet infrastructure.

Moreover, its remoteness lowers human interference risk, especially with undersea cable sabotage rising. In February, damage to three Red Sea cables was first blamed on Houthi rebels but later on a ship’s anchor hit by a missile.

In 2017, the UK warned of Russia’s threat to cables, noting sabotage and citing advanced seabed mapping of European infrastructure. These incidents highlight the increasing vulnerability of global internet connections to interference.

The Arctic route lowers the risk of accidental damage from fishing or shipping, common in high-traffic areas like the Red Sea. With that, the Far North Fiber project creates a direct Europe-Asia link, reducing reliance on vulnerable choke points and minimizing the threat of government-sponsored sabotage.

Not to mention, the thick ice protects the cables for much of the year, making them inaccessible for disruption. While maintenance is challenging, the ice acts as a natural barrier, reducing the risk of human interference, especially during winter.

The true impact of these initiatives may only become clear if unfortunately, we achieve an ice-free Arctic, as their success partly depends on the cables being periodically inaccessible due to ice refreezing.

As such, while the goal of improving internet access is just, it raises huge ethical concerns about benefiting from such a climate disaster.