Japan and the UK to connect via subsea fiber optics
MAR 20, 2012
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.025947
New Scientist : Construction on fiber-optic cables beneath the Arctic Ocean is scheduled to begin this August, with two cables planned to run through the Northwest Passage above North America and a third along the Russian coast. Although the project is possible due to the melting of Arctic sea ice, there are some logistical challenges unique to the environment: The work can only proceed during a few months out of the year, and it requires ships rated to work in ice-ridden waters. Once complete, the cable should be safe from fishing trawlers and ships’ anchors—the two biggest threats to cable in warmer waters. The cables will create digital shortcuts between London and Tokyo, cutting transmission times in half.
© 2012 American Institute of Physics
