Abstract
The Arctic Connect Project aims to connect East Asia, North America and Europe by running a submarine fibre-optic cable through the Northeast Passage. Along with the Quintillion Submarine Cable System, which originates in Alaska, it is one of the most visible elements of the lively discussion concerning Arctic connectivity. This chapter clarifies the role of the European High North and other Arctic regions in such initiatives. The human security framework is utilised as a flexible conceptual tool for analysing the role of local people and local communities as well as the different meanings, hopes and fears associated with these international market-driven projects. The European High North serves as the spatial focus of the research, although references are also made to other geographical locations.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsNotes
- 1.
A project originating in Finland that aims to create a submarine fibre-optic cable connection between East Asia, Europe and North America through the Northeast Passage.
- 2.
A project originating in Alaska that aims to create a submarine fibre-optic cable connection between East Asia, Europe and North America through the Northwest Passage.
- 3.
These locations include the Luzon Strait, the Suez Canal–Red Sea–Mandab Strait passage and the Strait of Malacca.
- 4.
Team Telecom is comprised of staff members from the US Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation as well as representatives from the Department of Commerce, the Department of Defense, the Department of State, the Department of the Treasury and the Office of the United States Trade Representative.
- 5.
The source does not reveal how the number of residents was calculated. Quintillion has not replied to the author’s request for a comment on the estimate published by StateScoop.
- 6.
It is worth noting that there are plans to build a new submarine fibre-optic cable connecting the current landings of C-Lion1 with cities on the shores of the Bothnian Bay.
- 7.
See Chapter 7 in this volume for more detail on the legal regimes.
References
Alaska Broadband Task Force. (2014, October). A blueprint for Alaska’s broadband future. A report from the Statewide Broadband Task Force. Retrieved from http://www.alaska.edu/oit/bbtaskforce/docs/Statewide-Broadband-Task-Force-Report-FINAL.pdf.
Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development. (2017). Northern opportunity: Alaska’s economic development strategy. Retrieved from https://northernopportunity.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Final-Statewide-CEDS.pdf.
Alkire, S. (2003). A conceptual framework for human security. Working Paper 2. University of Oxford, Centre for Research on Inequality, Human Security and Ethnicity. Retrieved from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.580.2805&rep=rep1&type=pdf.
Avgerou, C. (2003). The link between ICT and economic growth in the discourse of development. In M. Korpela, R. Montealegre, & A. Poulymenakou (Eds.), Organizational information systems in the context of globalization (pp. 373–386). New York, NY: Springer.
Bauer, M. (2010). Regulation, public policy, and investment in communications infrastructure. Telecommunications Policy, 34, 65–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.telpol.2009.11.011.
Bennett, M. (2016, May 31). Arctic fiber cable proposed to link Asia and Europe. Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved from https://www.adn.com/arctic/article/arctic-fiber-cable-proposed-link-asia-and-europe/2012/01/30/.
Bredbåndsfylket. (2017). Arctic Connect. Retrieved from https://www.bbft.no/nyheter/arctic-connect.
Burnett, D., Davenport, T., & Beckman, R. (2014). Why submarine cables? In D. R. Burnett, R. C. Beckman, & T. M. Davenport (Eds.), Submarine cables: The handbook of law and policy (pp. 1–15). Leiden and Boston: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers.
Capello, R., & Nijkamp, P. (1996). Telecommunications technologies and regional development: Theoretical considerations and empirical evidence. The Annals of Regional Science, 30(1), 7–30. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01580535.
Carter, L., Burnett, D., & Davenport, T. (2014). The relationship between submarine cables and the marine environment. In D. R. Burnett, R. C. Beckman, & T. M. Davenport (Eds.), Submarine cables: The handbook of law and policy (pp. 179–212). Leiden and Boston: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers.
Cinia. (2018a). The Arctic connect project to power business in northern Finland. Retrieved from https://www.cinia.fi/en/archive/the-arctic-connect-project-to-power-business-in-northern-finland.html.
Cinia. (2018b). Investment in Arctic connect boosts the economy in western Uusimaa. Retrieved from https://www.cinia.fi/en/archive/investment-in-arctic-connect-boosts-the-economy-in-western-uusimaa.html.
Copenhagen Economics. (2017). Finland’s economic opportunities from data centre investments. A study prepared for Google. Retrieved from https://www.copenhageneconomics.com/dyn/resources/Publication/publicationPDF/5/395/1492669001/copenhagen-economics-2017-finlands-economic-opportunities-from-data-centre-investments.pdf.
Czernich, N., Falck, O., Kretschmer, T., & Woessman, L. (2011). Broadband infrastructure and economic growth. The Economic Journal, 121, 505–532. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0297.2011.02420.x.
Dawn-Hiscox, T. (2018). Facebook plans third data center in Luleå, Sweden. DCD. Retrieved from https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/news/facebook-plans-third-data-center-in-luleå-sweden/.
Delaunay, M. (2014). The Arctic: A new internet highway? Arctic Yearbook 2014. Retrieved from https://arcticyearbook.com/arctic-yearbook/2014/2014-briefing-notes/112-the-arctic-a-new-internet-highway.
Downing, S. (2017, August 4). Quintillion CEO out, new one in, as project nears completion. Must Read Alaska. Retrieved from http://mustreadalaska.com/quintillion-ceo-new-one-project-nears-completion/.
Eskelinen, H., Frank, L., & Hirvonen, T. (2008). Does strategy matter? A comparison of broadband rollout policies in Finland and Sweden. Telecommunications Policy, 32, 412–421. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.telpol.2008.04.001.
Falsey, J. L. (2017, May 9). Fiber-optic broadband set to go live in northern Alaska by year’s end. Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved from https://www.adn.com/business-economy/2017/05/08/quintillion-ceo-fiber-based-broadband-set-to-go-live-in-alaska-by-end-of-the-year/.
Grubesic, T. H., & Mack, E. A. (2016). Broadband telecommunications and regional development. London and New York: Routledge.
Gudjonsson, H. (2018, June 27). Speech at the 3rd top of the world: Arctic broadband summit. June 27–28, Sapporo, Japan.
Hansen, D. K. (2018, January 23). Speech at the Arctic Frontiers 2018. January 21–26, Tromso, Norway.
Joensuu, J. P. (2017, October 17). Speech at Arctic data cables, digitalization and regional development seminar. Sapporo, Japan.
Joensuu, J. P. (2018, August 28). Phone interview with J. Saunavaara.
Kang, C. (2017, December 2). Melting Arctic ice makes high-speed Internet a reality in a remote town. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/02/technology/from-the-arctics-melting-ice-an-unexpected-digital-hub.html.
Klouda, N. (2017, June 14). More rural broadband options coming through fiber, satellites. Alaska Journal of Commerce. Retrieved from http://www.alaskajournal.com/2017–06-14/more-rural-broadband-options-coming-through-fiber-satellites#.W7MkhPZuJdg.
Lassila, M. (2018). Mapping mineral resources in a living land: Sami mining resistance in Ohcejohka, northern Finland. Geoforum, 96, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2018.07.004.
Linden, S. (2017, May 23). Personal interview with J. Saunavaara.
Malecki, E. J., & Wei, H. (2009). A wired world: The evolving geography of submarine cables and the shift to Asia. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 99, 360–382. https://doi.org/10.1080/00045600802686216.
Navy Recognition. (2018). Russian navy to lay fiber optic cables to connect Arctic and far East. Navy Recognition. Retrieved from http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/defence-news/2018/april-2018-navy-naval-defense-news/6161-russian-navy-to-lay-fiber-optic-cables-to-connect-arctic-and-far-east.html.
Nenasheva, M., Bickford, S. H., Lesser, P., Koivurova, T., & Kankaanpää, P. (2015). Legal tools of public participation in the environmental impact assessment process and their application in the countries of the Barents Euro-Arctic region. Barents Studies, 1(3), 13–35.
Nilsen, T. (2018, April 24). Russia plans to lay trans-Arctic fiber cable linking military installations. The Independent Barents Observer. Retrieved from https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/security/2018/04/russia-slated-lay-military-trans-arctic-fibre-cable.
Paulin, J. (2017, December 7). Fiber-laying ship calls on internet-starved Aleutians. Alaska Journal of Commerce. Retrieved from http://www.alaskajournal.com/2017-07-12/fiber-laying-ship-calls-internet-starved-aleutians#.W7boy_ZuJdg.
Pierce, E. (2017, June 14). Speech at the 2nd top of the world: Arctic broadband summit. Oulu, Finland.
Quintillion. (2018). Quintillion fiber system in service. Retrieved from http://qexpressnet.com/.
Rauscher, K. F. (2010). ROGUCCI, the report. Issue 1, rev. 1. IEEE Communications Society. Retrieved from http://www.ieee-rogucci.org/files/The%20ROGUCCI%20Report.pdf.
Rautajoki, T., Sørheim Nilsen, N. K., Wallin, S., & Tuovinen, J. (2017). Arctic connect—Arctic cooperation for a new digital highway to Asia. Written statement. Lapland Chamber of Commerce, the Regional Business Association of Tromsø/Troms Chamber of Commerce, Swedish Lapland Chamber of Commerce and Oulu Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved from https://arcticeconomiccouncil.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Arctic-Connect.pdf.
Riipi, M. (2017, June 6). Personal interview with J. Saunavaara.
Rämet, J. (2018, March 5). Personal interview with J. Saunavaara.
Salminen, M., & Hossain, K. (2018). Digitalization and human security dimensions in cybersecurity: An appraisal for the European High North. Polar Record, 53(2), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0032247418000268.
Sato, Y. (2018, June 27). Speech at the 3rd top of the world: Arctic broadband summit. June 27–28, Sapporo, Japan.
Saunavaara, J. (2018). Arctic subsea communications cables and the regional development of northern peripheries. Arctic and North, 32. https://doi.org/10.17238/issn2221-2698.2018.32.63.
Sedrak, K. (2018, June 27). Speech (video) at the 3rd top of the world: Arctic broadband summit. June 27–28, Sapporo, Japan.
Starosielski, N. (2015). The undersea network. Durnham and London: Duke University Press.
Taksami, N. (2018). A survey of Finnish media debates on the Arctic corridor railway planned to connect the silk road and the polar silk road. Briefing Note. In Arctic Yearbook 2018. Special Section: China & the Arctic (pp. 118–122). Retrieved from https://arcticyearbook.com/images/yearbook/2018/China-and-the-Arctic/AY2018-Special-Section-Complete.pdf.
The Boston Consulting Group. (2014). Digital infrastructure and economic development: An impact assessment of Facebook’s data center in northern Sweden. Facebook. Retrieved from http://www.investindalarna.se/app/uploads/2016/11/boston-consulting-group-facebook.pdf.
The State Council Information Office of the People’s Republic of China. (2018). China’s Arctic policy. Retrieved from http://english.gov.cn/archive/white_paper/2018/01/26/content_281476026660336.htm.
Uljas, A. (2018a, June 27). Speech at the 3rd top of the world: Arctic broadband summit. June 27–28, Sapporo, Japan.
Uljas, A. (2018b, January 23). Speech at the Arctic Frontiers 2018. Tromso, Norway.
Wargo, R., & Davenport, T. (2014). Protecting submarine cables from competing uses. In D. R. Burnett, R. C. Beckman, & T. M. Davenport (Eds.), Submarine cables: The handbook of law and policy (pp. 255–280). Leiden and Boston: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers.
Wood, C. (2018, May 15). Alaska partners with nonprofit to mend its K-12 broadband gap. StateScoop. Retrieved from https://statescoop.com/alaska-partners-with-nonprofit-to-mend-its-k-12-broadband-gap.
Woolston, K. (2018, June 27). Speech at the 3rd top of the world: Arctic broadband summit. June 27–28, Sapporo, Japan.
Yamamoto, T. (2017a, January 27). Personal interview with J. Saunavaara.
Yamamoto, T. (2017b, October 17). Speech at Arctic data cables, digitalization and regional development seminar. Sapporo, Japan.
Zojer, G. (2019). The interconnectedness of digitalization and human security in the European high north: Cybersecurity conceptualised through the human security lens. The Yearbook of Polar Law, 10, 297–320.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Saunavaara, J. (2020). Connecting the Arctic While Installing Submarine Data Cables Between East Asia, North America and Europe. In: Salminen, M., Zojer, G., Hossain, K. (eds) Digitalisation and Human Security. New Security Challenges. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-48070-7_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-48070-7_8
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-48069-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-48070-7
eBook Packages: Political Science and International StudiesPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)