Northwest passage fiber optic line could support defense arctic strategy

A Canadian company’s bold project to install a high speed fiber optic network across the roof of the world could provide the Defense Department with broadband connections to support its new Artic strategy.

Arctic Fibre of Toronto plans to start construction in May 2014 on its $620 million, 24 terabit network linking London and Tokyo with a route through the Northwest Passage. The network is slated to start operating in January 2016. It will have 100 gigabit spurs to areas of Alaska that have minimal or no communications links, Douglas Cunningham, the company’s president told Nextgov. Arctic Fibre also plans to run another 100 gigabit spur into Prudhoe Bay on the northern coast of Alaska and then down to the Dalton Highway to Fairbanks, Cunningham said, providing high speed connections to interior Alaska.

(Nov 27)