Space Norway selects Ciena to upgrade its legacy Svalbard system and power new Arctic Way subsea cable
Space Norway has awarded Ciena a turnkey contract to modernize its existing Svalbard subsea cable systems and deploy state-of-the-art networking technology on the new Arctic Way system. The project extends the operational lifespan of Space Norway’s subsea infrastructure while expanding secure, high-resilience connectivity to critical new locations across the Arctic.
Operating in one of the world’s most challenging geographic environments, Space Norway provides mission-critical communications relied upon by research, scientific, and national security organizations. Arctic Way, the world’s northernmost subsea cable system - expected to commence service in 2028 - will become a critical asset for transmitting data traffic between the mainland, Jan Mayen, and Svalbard, which is one of the world's major Arctic research hubs.
“Reliable connectivity is essential in the Arctic, where our infrastructure supports critical activities and demanding operational requirements,” said Pia Birgitte Bruhn, Vice President of Cable Systems at Space Norway. “By working with Ciena, we are extending the operational life of our existing Svalbard cable systems while preparing Arctic Way for service. This investment will strengthen the resilience and capacity of our subsea network and support the region’s long-term connectivity needs.”
Under the direct turnkey agreement, Ciena is providing end-to-end design, deployment, and optical technology, including the Ciena 6500 Optical Platform powered by WaveLogic 6 Extreme (WL6e) transponders and Spectrum Sharing capabilities. Ciena’s Navigator Network Control Suite (Navigator NCS) will provide Space Norway with advanced network visibility, control, and operational redundancy.
By standardizing on Ciena’s technology across both the new and legacy subsea routes, Space Norway will achieve significant operational cost efficiencies and consistent performance across its entire subsea footprint, with future terrestrial extensions planned.
“Organizations delivering mission-critical connectivity in remote and harsh environments need infrastructure built for resilience and long-term durability,” said Thomas Soerensen, Vice President of Global Subsea and MOFN at Ciena. “Ciena is proud to be selected by Space Norway to enable reliable and high-speed connectivity in one of the world’s most strategically important and challenging Arctic environments, safeguarding communications well into the future.”
The upgraded subsea network will complement Space Norway’s satellite-based infrastructure, creating a diverse communications topology to meet uptime demands across the region.
