FEATURE
ARCTIC CABLES: Digital Sovereignty and Geopolitics BY ALEXANDRA MIDDLETON AND BJØRN RØNNING
INTRODUCTION
Subsea cables are in the spotlight. Governments around the world view them as part of critical infrastructure1 and disruptions in data flow, because of their damage causes resonance. Subsea cables are a crucial element of digital sovereignty. More than 99% of Internet Traffic passes through submarine cables, making them a vital asset and vulnerable spot. Whoever owns the cable can control the flow of data, possibly spy on it and in the event of a conflict, cut off communications for certain regions or even entire nations2. In January 2022, a fiber cable connecting the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic to mainland Norway was damaged, sparking theories of a man-made attack by hostile nations3. While direct evidence of cybercrime is lacking, 1 Bueger, C., & Liebetrau, T. (2021). Protecting hidden infrastructure: The security politics of the global submarine data cable network. Contemporary Security Policy, 42(3), 391-413. 2 Dalmont, C. (2020). Digital Sovereignty · Submarine cables, as important an issue as 5G. Institute Thomas More. https://institut-thomas-more.org/2020/10/02/digital-sovereignty-%C2%B7-submarine-cables-as-important-an-issue-as-5g/
3 Svinhoe, D. (2022). Svalbard cable damage caused by ‘external influences’ but probably not intentional, say police. Datacenterdynamics. https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/ news/svalbard-cable-damage-caused-by-external-influences-but-probably-not-intentional-say-police/
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this incident underscores the growing attention paid to cables as critical infrastructure. The spotlight on Arctic cables has prompted significant developments, including the establishment of a Critical Undersea Infrastructure Coordination Cell at NATO headquarters in February 2023. Furthermore, in July 2023, the Vilnius Summit and NATO allies took further steps to create the Maritime Centre for the Security of Critical Underwater Infrastructure within NATO’s Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM). These initiatives signify a heightened recognition of the strategic importance of safeguarding undersea infrastructure in the Arctic and beyond.4 This article focuses on the current development of Arctic Cables and argues that the revival of Arctic cables on the global agenda is a function of digital sovereignty, critical infrastructure, and geopolitical concerns.
BACKGROUND
The enduring concept of Arctic subsea cables has long
4 Moaghan et al.(2023). NATO’s Role in Protecting Critical Undersea Infrastructure. CSIS. https://www.csis.org/analysis/natos-role-protecting-critical-undersea-infrastructure