Svalbard to get a new digital lifeline

by Einar Johansen
10/30/2026
The map shows the planned Arctic Way fibre-optic cable system (turquoise) between Bodø, Jan Mayen and Svalbard. The existing submarine cables to Harstad are shown in yellow. The new connection is set to improve communications security in the Arctic from 2028. (Illustration: PolarJournal)

Norway is investing in a new digital link in the Arctic. A fibre-optic cable system approximately 2,350 kilometres long is set to connect the Norwegian mainland to Svalbard via Jan Mayen from 2028. The ‘Arctic Way’ project aims to improve data transmission and secure the strategically important communications infrastructure in the far north in the long term.

As the state-owned company Space Norway announced on 13 October 2026, the American technology group Ciena has been commissioned to supply state-of-the-art transmission technology. This is to be used both for the new cable system and for the modernisation of existing connections. The planned route runs from Bodø, via a branch line to the volcanic island of Jan Mayen, to Longyearbyen. According to Space Norway, this will create one of the world’s northernmost subsea cable systems.

Longyearbyen on Svalbard with the Advent Valley and the surrounding mountains. The remote Arctic settlement relies on reliable digital connections to the Norwegian mainland. The new fibre-optic cable system is intended to safeguard the communications infrastructure in the long term. (Photo: Marcel Schütz)

Greater security for a vulnerable infrastructure

Svalbard has been connected to the Norwegian mainland via two fibre-optic cables since 2004. These are indispensable for the local population, international research institutions and satellite stations. However, the cables are nearing the end of their originally intended service life. Just how vulnerable the infrastructure can be became apparent in early 2022, when one of the two cables was damaged.

With ‘Arctic Way’, Norway aims to make digital connectivity more reliable and create additional transmission capacity. For the first time, Jan Mayen is also set to receive a direct fibre-optic connection. This will particularly benefit scientific institutions, government agencies and the Norwegian Armed Forces.

The 2,277-metre-high Beerenberg volcano on the Norwegian island of Jan Mayen. As part of the ‘Arctic Way’ project, the remote island is to be connected directly to the fibre-optic network for the first time. (Photo: Hagman / CC BY-SA 3.0)

Commissioning planned for 2028

The American company SubCom has been commissioned to lay the new submarine cables. A cable-laying vessel specially equipped for operations in polar waters is to be used for this purpose.

According to Space Norway, commissioning is scheduled for 2028. The existing connections are to be kept in operation where possible and will serve as a backup in future.

With this project, Norway is not only strengthening digital connectivity in its remote Arctic regions, but also bolstering the resilience of an infrastructure that is of central importance for research, communication and security in the far north.

Einar Johansen, PolarJournal