Cinia and ARTERIA Sign MoU for Pan-Arctic Fiber Cable

Cinia Ltd from Finland and ARTERIA Networks Corporation from Japan announced a joint effort to build a fiber optic cable system linking Europe and Asia through the Arctic region. ARTERIA is joining the earlier announced team of Cinia and Far North Digital as the leading Japanese partner to develop and build the Far North Fiber project.

The Finnish network, cybersecurity and software solutions provider Cinia and ARTERIA Networks Corporation (hereinafter: ARTERIA), a Japanese company focused on telecommunications infrastructure development and operations have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to build a submarine fiber optic cable. 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. 

In December 2021, Cinia and North American Far North Digital LLC announced a joint effort to build a subsea cable linking Asia and Europe. ARTERIA as the Asian partner is now joining the project to pave the way for building a network on the Japanese side, which will be the gateway in Asia. The planned 14,000-kilometer cable system greatly reduces the optical distance between Asia and Europe, thus minimizing signal latency.

“Far North Fiber will be the first multicontinental cable system and the first Pan-Arctic system. First of its kind very often causes a paradigm shift. 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”, says Ari-Jussi Knaapila CEO of Cinia.

Ari-Jussi Knaapila CEO of Cinia

The cable system will support the positive development of digital economies both in national and international level and further between continents. Security and environmental friendliness are some of key areas guiding the system development. 

Koji Kabumoto, Representative Director, President & CEO of ARTERIA, commented as follows:

"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 realized 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."

The targeted Ready for Service of cable is by the end of the year 2025. Cost estimate for project is approximately 1 billion euros (130 billion yen). Industry leader Alcatel Submarine Networks has been chosen as the lead EPC (engineering, procurement, construction) partner for the project.