Wants broadband capacities in the Arctic

“Eighty percent of ship traffic in the Arctic takes place in Norwegian waters. These are som of the most challenging areas to stay in. Good broadband coverage is important for all activities that are carried out here,” Mæland says in a press release.

Today’s communication systems have limited coverage and capacity in areas above 75 degrees north (just north of Bear Island). Actors operating in the northern regions need stable solutions that can handle large amounts of data. This concerns areas like rescue operations, monitoring of climate and environment, weather forecast and research.

The minister wants to investigate possible concepts for satellite-based communications in the Arctic. This will be done through an impact assessment that will be announced later this summer.

Last month the Norwegian Coast Guard together with the Norwegian Cyber Defence Force and Forsvarsmateriell – the Ministry of Defence’s agency for material management and investments, conducted tests where they managed to establish a stable broadband coverage on 82 degrees north using old geostationary satellites.