Polar Connect
Polar Connect is a Northern European initiative aimed at establishing a secure and resilient fiber connection between Europe and Asia — following the shortest possible route through the central Arctic Ocean. Within this framework, the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat is participating in two EU-funded projects: North Pole Fiber and Polar Connect Step 1.
Polar Connect is a global initiative to establish a high-capacity submarine cable between Northern Europe and East Asia via the Arctic Ocean – the shortest route between the two continents. The cable is designed to support 12 to 24 fiber pairs, enabling ultra-high transmission capacity while bypassing geopolitically sensitive areas such as the Red Sea, where approximately 90 percent of today’s fiber-optic connections between Europe and Asia are currently routed.
The Polar Connect Initiative is a Nordic initiative, developed by NORDUnet, the Swedish Research Council, and the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat. The Initiative is funded by the Swedish Government, the European Commission, and NORDUnet, representing Sunet (Sweden), CSC (Finland), Sikt (Norway), DeiC (Denmark), and RHnet (Iceland).
Explore the Polar Connect Initiative and how it supports secure, scalable, and future-ready digital infrastructure across the Arctic region.
Projects within Polar Connect with EU funding
The North Pole Fiber project, 22-EU-DIG-NPF, is carrying out preparatory work for Polar Connect – a global project that establishes new fiber cables between Europe and Asia.
Polar Connect Step 1 maps the optimal route for Polar Connect's submarine cable between Europe and Asia via the Arctic.
Polar Connect Step 2 is the next step in the global Polar Connect project to establish a resilient submarine cable system between Europe, North America, and East Asia across the Arctic.