The European Union is considering a submarine internet Cable that would connect Greenland directly to the bloc, with potential extensions through Canada to Japan and South Korea. The European Commission’s strategy describes the Pan-Arctic Cable as a way to strengthen Europe’s connectivity and security in the Arctic.
More than 99% of global internet traffic travels through submarine cables, carrying services ranging from financial transactions to cloud computing and communications. the Commission’s proposal comes amid concerns about the resilience of existing routes: much of the traffic between Europe and Asia passes through the Red Sea, while cables in the Baltic Sea have been damaged by ships dragging their anchors. The source also points to increasingly strained relations with Washington and European reliance on infrastructure controlled by the United States.
The Commission says the project would provide a “sovereign, secure and resilient” cable connection between Greenland and the EU. It has allocated €107 million to Greenland connectivity, according to the body. The initiative originated in a 2025 agreement involving European companies, research organisations and a Greenlandic telecom operator, and is expected to receive further support through the Connecting Europe Facility.
The proposal also includes an Arctic cable hub, open to EU members, Norway and Iceland, to monitor and protect cables in the North Atlantic and Arctic and help coordinate repairs. Brussels says it will also fund cables equipped with “smart technologies” that could act as early-warning systems.
The strategic rationale may be stronger than the commercial case. Elisabeth Braw, a researcher at the Atlantic Council, told Ars Technica that geopolitics had played almost no role in cable projects in previous decades, but that future links may increasingly connect friendly countries while avoiding the waters of others. She said a Greenland project would not have looked commercially attractive five years ago.
The plan has not yet set a definitive route, budget or construction schedule, and does not specify who would pay for, own or operate the cable, according to Euronews. Arctic work would also require specialised vessels. The proposal even mentions nuclear power as a possible way to support operations in the region’s extreme conditions.
A wider connection to Asia remains uncertain. Juha Saunavaara of Hokkaido University told Nikkei Asia that Japan generally treats cable construction as a private-sector matter, making public participation difficult; he also noted that Japanese investments in Russian hydrocarbon projects could complicate cooperation.
Other projects are exploring northern routes. Polar Connect, led by Nordic research institutions, aims to link northern Europe with Japan and South Korea by 2031, while the commercial Far North Fiber project is also studying possible routes. Norway’s Bulk Infrastructure is seeking partners for a separate cable between Europe and Canada, Bloomberg reported.
Sources: Xataka.