Handbook on Geopolitics and Security in the Arctic, 2020
Quality infrastructures are paramount to ensure prosperity and sustainable development of the Arc... more Quality infrastructures are paramount to ensure prosperity and sustainable development of the Arctic region. Infrastructures are also critical to improve online connectivity for local Arctic communities and lessen the Arctic digital divide. Two persistent dynamics has guided and will continue to guide the development of connectivity infrastructure in the region. First, the construction of norms and standards on Arctic connectivity has started to take shape, using multilateral settings and forums. This process involves a wide range of stakeholders and highlight the role that the private sector could play in Arctic governance. Second, the necessity of building connectivity infrastructure requires substantial investments, with a limited number of potential customers. China is at the forefront, expressing strong interest at high government level to contribute in a digital Arctic Silk Road as part of their Road and Belt Initiative (BRI). The construction of an undersea cable through the Northern Sea Route is at the center of future connectivity development in the Arctic and economic development. In particular, the digital Arctic Silk Road raises geopolitical and security concerns as it could represent an instance in which China will control a physical connectivity network outside of its national territory. In term, it could represent another instance of West-China rivalry for the control of global infrastructures and the question of the surveillance of the internet.
L’Arctique n’échappe pas à l’extension du réseau physique d’Internet soutenu par les câbles sous-... more L’Arctique n’échappe pas à l’extension du réseau physique d’Internet soutenu par les câbles sous-marins de fibre optique, dont plusieurs projets sont en cours ou réalisés. Cette possible nouvelle route des données est plus rapide et plus sûre que les routes habituelles reliant l’Amérique du Nord, l’Europe et l’Asie. La Chine, qui souhaite mettre en place une route de la soie numérique chinoise, est fortement intéressée par cette nouvelle route et pourrait y prendre pied par l’intermédiaire du projet de câble Arctic Connect. Dans un contexte de guerre commerciale et technologique entre la Chine et les États-Unis, on peut se poser des questions quant aux intentions réelles de la Chine pour ce qui est de ce projet de réseau Internet 100 % chinois. En effet, le financement et la construction par la Chine de ce genre d’infrastructure vitale pour l’économie mondiale ne sont-ils pas pour elle un moyen d’étendre son influence, dans la région mais aussi au niveau global?
Quality infrastructures are paramount to ensure prosperity and sustainable development of the Arc... more Quality infrastructures are paramount to ensure prosperity and sustainable development of the Arctic region. Infrastructures are also critical to improve online connectivity for local Arctic communities and lessen the Arctic digital divide. Two persistent dynamics has guided and will continue to guide the development of connectivity infrastructure in the region. First, the construction of norms and standards on Arctic connectivity has started to take shape, using multilateral settings and forums. This process involves a wide range of stakeholders and highlight the role that the private sector could play in Arctic governance. Second, the necessity of building connectivity infrastructure requires substantial investments, with a limited number of potential customers. China is at the forefront, expressing strong interest at high government level to contribute in a digital Arctic Silk Road as part of their Road and Belt Initiative (BRI). The construction of an undersea cable through the ...
L'enjeu des câbles sous-marins de fibre optique pour l'Arctique, 2018
Les sociétés modernes sont fortement dépendantes d'Internet, une très large partie des activités ... more Les sociétés modernes sont fortement dépendantes d'Internet, une très large partie des activités étant liées à ce réseau de télécommunications qui connecte la presque totalité de la planète via divers moyens physiques et notamment les câbles sous-marins de fibre optique. Par ces tuyaux, transite 99 % des données échangées sur le réseau, seule une infime partie transitant via les satellites ou les réseaux micro-ondes. Cette prédominance d'Internet fait des câbles sous-marins une infrastructure vitale et stratégique pour les États et l'économie mondiale, et pourtant cela reste très peu connu. Dernier océan avec l'Antarctique à ne pas être traversé par des câbles de fibre optique, l'Arctique va semble-t-il bientôt être connecté à l'Internet haut-débit, au profit des populations locales, mais pas uniquement. Sans cette connexion, leurs chances de participer au développement de l'économie mondiale sont maigres. Alors que de manière générale, les infrastructures de télécommunications sont peu développées dans la région, plusieurs projets de câbles passant au travers des passages du Nord-est et du Nord-ouest sont en cours d'étude ou de réalisation pour tenter de régler ce problème, et peut-être ouvrir encore plus cette région à la mondialisation et à une exploitation plus importante de ses ressources qui ne sont pas que minières, comme cela sera vu. C'est un nouvel enjeu qui vient s'ajouter dans la région, avec cette nouvelle route de l'Internet mondial à travers l'océan Arctique.
The internet has already changed the lives of billions of people all over the planet and still co... more The internet has already changed the lives of billions of people all over the planet and still continues to do so. But in order to fully benefit from what the internet can offer, a broadband connection is essential. In the Arctic this is not yet the case. A large portion of the Arctic region suffers from a bad connection. There exists a significant digital gap between the northern and the southern region of the Arctic countries. For the majority of the inhabitants of the Arctic regions, internet is very expensive, but not only that; it offers a low bandwidth and a low data cap. This is particularly the case in Nunavut where Inuit rely on only one way to connect: via satellite. Other regions can be connected via micro wave or terrestrial fiber optic cables, but not all of them. Even if the satellite and microwave connect the northerners to the rest of the World, these technologies are likely to suffer due to the harsh environment (ice, snow storms, electromagnetic storms) that can disrupt, and even cut off completely, the only way to communicate for some of the Indigenous communities. Submarine cables for now seem to be the most reliable, fastest and cheapest option in the long term to connect most of the communities to broadband internet, even in the Arctic. While most of the Arctic communities are settled on shores in the North American Arctic, especially in Canada, the option of laying submarine fibre optic cables to connect them to broadband internet might be a solution. But why is broadband internet via submarine fibre optic cables vital for the Arctic populations? How has the internet changed their lives and will it continue to do so?
The Arctic Ocean is one of the last oceans of the planet, along with the Southern Ocean, not to b... more The Arctic Ocean is one of the last oceans of the planet, along with the Southern Ocean, not to be crisscrossed with fiber optical cable, information highways that carry the lion’s share of global communications. These cables are the spinal cord of the Internet and are a critical link with the rest of the world, increasingly so in our global village where instantaneous communication is expected. Today, there are nearly 300 submarine optical fiber cables on the ocean floor which carry, according to Alan Mauldin, research director at Telegeopgraphy, 99% of global communications (CNN, 2014). The remaining communications are via satellite for areas not yet connected to the global cable network. This is notably the case in the Canadian Arctic,1 where transmission is much more expensive and bandwidth much more limited as compared to optical fiber cable. In the coming years, with the melting of the polar ice and thanks to Canadian and Russian projects, Arctic residents may soon be linked to the global network and thus benefit from high-speed Internet connections. This offers great promise to northerners, especially in terms of education, health and economic development. These projects do face challenging weather conditions and require significant investment: cost estimates range from $650 million (USD) to nearly $1.9 billion.
Handbook on Geopolitics and Security in the Arctic, 2020
Quality infrastructures are paramount to ensure prosperity and sustainable development of the Arc... more Quality infrastructures are paramount to ensure prosperity and sustainable development of the Arctic region. Infrastructures are also critical to improve online connectivity for local Arctic communities and lessen the Arctic digital divide. Two persistent dynamics has guided and will continue to guide the development of connectivity infrastructure in the region. First, the construction of norms and standards on Arctic connectivity has started to take shape, using multilateral settings and forums. This process involves a wide range of stakeholders and highlight the role that the private sector could play in Arctic governance. Second, the necessity of building connectivity infrastructure requires substantial investments, with a limited number of potential customers. China is at the forefront, expressing strong interest at high government level to contribute in a digital Arctic Silk Road as part of their Road and Belt Initiative (BRI). The construction of an undersea cable through the Northern Sea Route is at the center of future connectivity development in the Arctic and economic development. In particular, the digital Arctic Silk Road raises geopolitical and security concerns as it could represent an instance in which China will control a physical connectivity network outside of its national territory. In term, it could represent another instance of West-China rivalry for the control of global infrastructures and the question of the surveillance of the internet.
L’Arctique n’échappe pas à l’extension du réseau physique d’Internet soutenu par les câbles sous-... more L’Arctique n’échappe pas à l’extension du réseau physique d’Internet soutenu par les câbles sous-marins de fibre optique, dont plusieurs projets sont en cours ou réalisés. Cette possible nouvelle route des données est plus rapide et plus sûre que les routes habituelles reliant l’Amérique du Nord, l’Europe et l’Asie. La Chine, qui souhaite mettre en place une route de la soie numérique chinoise, est fortement intéressée par cette nouvelle route et pourrait y prendre pied par l’intermédiaire du projet de câble Arctic Connect. Dans un contexte de guerre commerciale et technologique entre la Chine et les États-Unis, on peut se poser des questions quant aux intentions réelles de la Chine pour ce qui est de ce projet de réseau Internet 100 % chinois. En effet, le financement et la construction par la Chine de ce genre d’infrastructure vitale pour l’économie mondiale ne sont-ils pas pour elle un moyen d’étendre son influence, dans la région mais aussi au niveau global?
Quality infrastructures are paramount to ensure prosperity and sustainable development of the Arc... more Quality infrastructures are paramount to ensure prosperity and sustainable development of the Arctic region. Infrastructures are also critical to improve online connectivity for local Arctic communities and lessen the Arctic digital divide. Two persistent dynamics has guided and will continue to guide the development of connectivity infrastructure in the region. First, the construction of norms and standards on Arctic connectivity has started to take shape, using multilateral settings and forums. This process involves a wide range of stakeholders and highlight the role that the private sector could play in Arctic governance. Second, the necessity of building connectivity infrastructure requires substantial investments, with a limited number of potential customers. China is at the forefront, expressing strong interest at high government level to contribute in a digital Arctic Silk Road as part of their Road and Belt Initiative (BRI). The construction of an undersea cable through the ...
L'enjeu des câbles sous-marins de fibre optique pour l'Arctique, 2018
Les sociétés modernes sont fortement dépendantes d'Internet, une très large partie des activités ... more Les sociétés modernes sont fortement dépendantes d'Internet, une très large partie des activités étant liées à ce réseau de télécommunications qui connecte la presque totalité de la planète via divers moyens physiques et notamment les câbles sous-marins de fibre optique. Par ces tuyaux, transite 99 % des données échangées sur le réseau, seule une infime partie transitant via les satellites ou les réseaux micro-ondes. Cette prédominance d'Internet fait des câbles sous-marins une infrastructure vitale et stratégique pour les États et l'économie mondiale, et pourtant cela reste très peu connu. Dernier océan avec l'Antarctique à ne pas être traversé par des câbles de fibre optique, l'Arctique va semble-t-il bientôt être connecté à l'Internet haut-débit, au profit des populations locales, mais pas uniquement. Sans cette connexion, leurs chances de participer au développement de l'économie mondiale sont maigres. Alors que de manière générale, les infrastructures de télécommunications sont peu développées dans la région, plusieurs projets de câbles passant au travers des passages du Nord-est et du Nord-ouest sont en cours d'étude ou de réalisation pour tenter de régler ce problème, et peut-être ouvrir encore plus cette région à la mondialisation et à une exploitation plus importante de ses ressources qui ne sont pas que minières, comme cela sera vu. C'est un nouvel enjeu qui vient s'ajouter dans la région, avec cette nouvelle route de l'Internet mondial à travers l'océan Arctique.
The internet has already changed the lives of billions of people all over the planet and still co... more The internet has already changed the lives of billions of people all over the planet and still continues to do so. But in order to fully benefit from what the internet can offer, a broadband connection is essential. In the Arctic this is not yet the case. A large portion of the Arctic region suffers from a bad connection. There exists a significant digital gap between the northern and the southern region of the Arctic countries. For the majority of the inhabitants of the Arctic regions, internet is very expensive, but not only that; it offers a low bandwidth and a low data cap. This is particularly the case in Nunavut where Inuit rely on only one way to connect: via satellite. Other regions can be connected via micro wave or terrestrial fiber optic cables, but not all of them. Even if the satellite and microwave connect the northerners to the rest of the World, these technologies are likely to suffer due to the harsh environment (ice, snow storms, electromagnetic storms) that can disrupt, and even cut off completely, the only way to communicate for some of the Indigenous communities. Submarine cables for now seem to be the most reliable, fastest and cheapest option in the long term to connect most of the communities to broadband internet, even in the Arctic. While most of the Arctic communities are settled on shores in the North American Arctic, especially in Canada, the option of laying submarine fibre optic cables to connect them to broadband internet might be a solution. But why is broadband internet via submarine fibre optic cables vital for the Arctic populations? How has the internet changed their lives and will it continue to do so?
The Arctic Ocean is one of the last oceans of the planet, along with the Southern Ocean, not to b... more The Arctic Ocean is one of the last oceans of the planet, along with the Southern Ocean, not to be crisscrossed with fiber optical cable, information highways that carry the lion’s share of global communications. These cables are the spinal cord of the Internet and are a critical link with the rest of the world, increasingly so in our global village where instantaneous communication is expected. Today, there are nearly 300 submarine optical fiber cables on the ocean floor which carry, according to Alan Mauldin, research director at Telegeopgraphy, 99% of global communications (CNN, 2014). The remaining communications are via satellite for areas not yet connected to the global cable network. This is notably the case in the Canadian Arctic,1 where transmission is much more expensive and bandwidth much more limited as compared to optical fiber cable. In the coming years, with the melting of the polar ice and thanks to Canadian and Russian projects, Arctic residents may soon be linked to the global network and thus benefit from high-speed Internet connections. This offers great promise to northerners, especially in terms of education, health and economic development. These projects do face challenging weather conditions and require significant investment: cost estimates range from $650 million (USD) to nearly $1.9 billion.
Uploads
http://www.observatoire-arctique.fr/technologie-industrie/lenjeu-cables-marins-de-fibre-optique-larctique/
For the majority of the inhabitants of the Arctic regions, internet is very expensive, but not only that; it offers a low bandwidth and a low data cap. This is particularly the case in Nunavut where Inuit rely on only one way to connect: via satellite. Other regions can be connected via micro wave or terrestrial fiber optic cables, but not all of them.
Even if the satellite and microwave connect the northerners to the rest of the World, these technologies are likely to suffer due to the harsh environment (ice, snow storms, electromagnetic storms) that can disrupt, and even cut off completely, the only way to communicate for some of the Indigenous communities.
Submarine cables for now seem to be the most reliable, fastest and cheapest option in the long term to connect most of the communities to broadband internet, even in the Arctic. While most of the Arctic communities are settled on shores in the North American Arctic, especially in Canada, the option of laying submarine fibre optic cables to connect them to broadband internet might be a solution.
But why is broadband internet via submarine fibre optic cables vital for the Arctic populations? How has the internet changed their lives and will it continue to do so?
crisscrossed with fiber optical cable, information highways that carry the lion’s share of global
communications. These cables are the spinal cord of the Internet and are a critical link with the rest
of the world, increasingly so in our global village where instantaneous communication is expected.
Today, there are nearly 300 submarine optical fiber cables on the ocean floor which carry, according
to Alan Mauldin, research director at Telegeopgraphy, 99% of global communications (CNN, 2014).
The remaining communications are via satellite for areas not yet connected to the global cable
network. This is notably the case in the Canadian Arctic,1 where transmission is much more
expensive and bandwidth much more limited as compared to optical fiber cable. In the coming years,
with the melting of the polar ice and thanks to Canadian and Russian projects, Arctic residents may
soon be linked to the global network and thus benefit from high-speed Internet connections. This
offers great promise to northerners, especially in terms of education, health and economic
development. These projects do face challenging weather conditions and require significant
investment: cost estimates range from $650 million (USD) to nearly $1.9 billion.
http://www.observatoire-arctique.fr/technologie-industrie/lenjeu-cables-marins-de-fibre-optique-larctique/
For the majority of the inhabitants of the Arctic regions, internet is very expensive, but not only that; it offers a low bandwidth and a low data cap. This is particularly the case in Nunavut where Inuit rely on only one way to connect: via satellite. Other regions can be connected via micro wave or terrestrial fiber optic cables, but not all of them.
Even if the satellite and microwave connect the northerners to the rest of the World, these technologies are likely to suffer due to the harsh environment (ice, snow storms, electromagnetic storms) that can disrupt, and even cut off completely, the only way to communicate for some of the Indigenous communities.
Submarine cables for now seem to be the most reliable, fastest and cheapest option in the long term to connect most of the communities to broadband internet, even in the Arctic. While most of the Arctic communities are settled on shores in the North American Arctic, especially in Canada, the option of laying submarine fibre optic cables to connect them to broadband internet might be a solution.
But why is broadband internet via submarine fibre optic cables vital for the Arctic populations? How has the internet changed their lives and will it continue to do so?
crisscrossed with fiber optical cable, information highways that carry the lion’s share of global
communications. These cables are the spinal cord of the Internet and are a critical link with the rest
of the world, increasingly so in our global village where instantaneous communication is expected.
Today, there are nearly 300 submarine optical fiber cables on the ocean floor which carry, according
to Alan Mauldin, research director at Telegeopgraphy, 99% of global communications (CNN, 2014).
The remaining communications are via satellite for areas not yet connected to the global cable
network. This is notably the case in the Canadian Arctic,1 where transmission is much more
expensive and bandwidth much more limited as compared to optical fiber cable. In the coming years,
with the melting of the polar ice and thanks to Canadian and Russian projects, Arctic residents may
soon be linked to the global network and thus benefit from high-speed Internet connections. This
offers great promise to northerners, especially in terms of education, health and economic
development. These projects do face challenging weather conditions and require significant
investment: cost estimates range from $650 million (USD) to nearly $1.9 billion.