The news follows the collaboration agreement entered into between MegaFon and Finnish infrastructure operator, Cinia to build the first-ever trans-Arctic subsea cable connecting Europe and Asia, in June 2019.
MegaFon has partnered with Rosgeologiya to conduct the offshore surveys using its Professor Logachev research vessel.
It will cover a distance of 6,500km, focusing on those sections of the route that are characterised by the most challenging ice conditions in the Barents, Kara, Laptev, East Siberian and Chukchi Seas.
Having started on 5 August 2020 in Murmansk, the expedition will last for three months.
"The Arctic Connect project involves building a fibre optic link that will connect continents where 85% of the global population is concentrated. Our plan is to provide an unprecedentedly short signal transmission time and minimal latency, outperforming all existing links,” said Frederic Vanoosthuyze, advisor to MegaFon's CEO on strategic infrastructure projects.
“Offshore surveys are required to select the optimal route for the link. In 2020, we will conduct a preliminary survey of the seabed profile to identify safe routes in the Arctic seas; in 2021, we will conduct the second phase of the surveys, which will involve a detailed examination of engineering parameters for underwater cable laying, including a study of seabed rock. Similar surveys will be carried out for those sections of the telecommunications link that are outside Russia's territorial waters."
Driven by increasing data traffic between continents thanks to OTT services, content providers, international telecom operators and major corporate customers - the launch of the Arctic Connect with a throughput of 200Tbps, will help to meet this demand.
The new system will run along the bottom of the Arctic Ocean along the Russian Arctic coast. Extensions from the main route will also provide connectivity to customers in the Arctic and the Far East.
