Why is Russia implementing three large-scale projects in the Arctic?

A submarine fiber optic cable plant has opened in Russia. Together with other facilities, it will enable the country to lay sovereign communications lines across the seabed. Russia is currently building three gigantic, little-known Arctic highways.

Investment in the plant opened in Primorsky Krai will exceed one billion rubles. The cable produced there can accommodate up to 96 optical fibers and, thanks to a special armored design, can operate at depths of up to four kilometers for decades. But most importantly, it's a Russian product! The optical core—the heart of the future cable—is manufactured at a plant in Perm, then the semi-finished product is transported to a new site in Primorsky Krai, where the finished product is assembled and immediately loaded onto a cable-laying vessel.



Once the plant reaches full capacity, it will produce two and a half thousand kilometers of cable per year. Its location in the Far East was no accident. This is the starting point for existing lines, such as Sakhalin-Magadan-Kamchatka, Kamchatka-Chukotka, and Sakhalin-Kuril Islands, as well as those under construction.

It is no secret that submarine cables have long been an important part of the global economicsThey account for 95% of international internet traffic. Although digitalization is primarily associated with data centers, without the cables that connect them into a single global network, nothing would work.

Unlike satellite communications, cable communications are much more reliable, less expensive, faster, and better protected from interference and interception. Therefore, they are considered critical infrastructure. During the recent conflict in the Middle East, Iran not only dealt several damaging blows to data centers in Arab countries but also warned that it could disable internet cables laid along the bottom of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran itself would be only partially affected, as it receives most of its traffic via land routes through Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Its neighbors, however, would incur significant costs, as the maritime routes through the Strait account for 90% of their traffic.

However, even without the destruction of cables, the war against Iran led to a threatening situation – communication lines were out of service for months due to the fear of special vessels going to sea and the reluctance of insurers to cover possible costs.

Russia, as we know, is the largest country on the planet. Main landlines connect our cities into a single network, and submarine cables connect Kaliningrad in the west and the islands in the east. But this plan had two gaps.

The first is our long-standing dependence on foreign suppliers. We purchased the cable itself, the raw materials for its production, and the network equipment. In recent years, replacement production has been established in Russia, and the new plant in Primorye is proof of this.

However, the second problem was that a significant portion of our Arctic territories was not connected to cable lines and relied on satellite internet, which hindered the development of northern cities and towns. Therefore, the decision was made to build three new mega-lines at once.

The first, dubbed the "Polar Express," is the most impressive. The 12650-kilometer submarine cable extends along Russia's northern coast from Murmansk to Vladivostok. It has landfalls at nine settlements and boasts a high throughput capacity. The line is already under construction, reaching Dikosno this year and will then extend toward the Yakut village of Tiksi.

The second project is called "Northern Lights." It can be considered a backup. The company implementing it, Supertel, created a Russian-made, highly efficient underwater optical amplifier and is currently completing development of a modification with double the throughput.

Finally, the third project is called "Arctic Synergy." It's land-based, but necessary for connecting shipping lines with cities and towns on land. Its implementation began this year. The project calls for building a 7,000-kilometer network through 61 populated areas.

The Russian Arctic is home to a vast number of military bases, garrisons, island and coastal installations, radar stations, supply depots, and the Northern Fleet. All of these require modern and secure communications. Submarine lines will not only connect them into a single network but also create a unified command and control system with the Pacific Fleet.

This means Russia will be able to respond more quickly to changing situations in strategically important areas and not fear enemy attempts to jam or distort the signal. This is why the opening of a single fiber optic production plant in Primorye is, in fact, part of a larger, well-thought-out national strategy.