MegaFon Group and Rosgeology JSC signed an agreement to conduct joint marine research as part of a project to lay an underwater fiber-optic communication line from Europe to Asia. The expedition will begin on August 5, 2020 in Murmansk and will last three months.

The scientific research vessel of Rosgeology "Professor Logachev" will pass the most difficult sections of the route in terms of ice conditions in the Barents, Kara, Laptev, East Siberian and Chukchi seas. The total length of the section studied in 2020 will be 6,500 km.

“We are starting the expedition in a year favorable in terms of ice conditions. In 2020, we will conduct a preliminary study of the bottom topography and determine the safe route routes in the Arctic seas. The second part of the survey will take place in 2021 and will include a detailed study of the engineering conditions for laying an underwater cable, including the study of bottom rocks. Similar work is planned on sections of the communication line outside Russian waters. Marine research will be the first stage of the project, they are necessary to determine the optimal route for laying the communication line along the Arctic zone of Russia and the choice of places for building branches to the coastal territory,” says Gevork Vermishyan, CEO of MegaFon.

“We are pleased that the competencies of Rosgeology, which has vast experience in conducting marine exploration and engineering surveys in the Arctic and the Far East, will be in demand during the implementation of a grandiose communication project. The company operates the largest fleet of research vessels in Russia equipped with modern equipment, including multifunctional underwater vehicles of their own design, which have proven their effectiveness in exploring the bottom of the oceans. I am sure that we will fulfill the task with honor,” said Sergey Gorkov, General Director and Chairman of the Board of Rosgeology.

The Arctic Connect project will connect the continents, with 85% of the world's population, via fiber-optic communication lines. It will provide users with an unprecedentedly short signal transmission time with the minimum level of delay that none of the existing lines offers. Branches built from the main line will provide communications for consumers in the Arctic and the Far East, including the enterprises of the fuel and energy complex, which will contribute to the socio-economic development of the region. The launch of a communication line with a throughput of 200 Tbit / s will help to cope with the growing volumes of world traffic.

KeyFacts Energy Industry Directory: ROSGEO