Yesterday the Professor Logachyov research vessel arrived in Vladivostok. Its crew has completed the first stage of sea research as part of Arctic Connect, the project to lay an underwater communications line from Europe to Asia.

The expedition’s first stage took 105 days. Experts researched parts of the line along the Northern Sea Route where the ice conditions were harsh, covering 6,500 sq km.

“The bottom survey has been successfully completed on the sections of the underwater fiber optic line in six seas: Barents, Kara, Laptev, Eastern Siberian, Chukota and Bering. In the difficult Arctic conditions, the project team’s smooth work and high skill made it possible to overcome all difficulties and finish all work ahead of schedule,” noted Rosgeo’s Director General – Board Chairman Sergei Gorkov.

During the expedition, the crew made specialized observations at the sections with a depth of 30-613m. They used a multibeam echo sounder, among other things, to measure depth; carried out a sonar survey of the bottom; and studied the upper layer of bottom sediments with an acoustic profiler. The research was conducted in high latitudes without icebreaker support due to favorable ice conditions.

During winter and spring of 2020–2021, experts will process the data they have gathered and start the second stage scheduled for next year and dedicated to studying the bottom rock along the route. 

“The results we’ve obtained will make it possible for us to choose the best route for the line along the Russian Arctic as well as to determine places to build offshore branches,” noted Megafon CEO Gevork Vermishyan.

In June, Megafon and Rosgeo signed a three-year memorandum of cooperation making Rosgeo the key partner in carrying out sea engineering research when implementing Arctic Connect, a project to link continents where 85 percent of the population live with a fiber optic line and ensure the fastest signal with minimal latency. The launch of Arctic Connect 200 Tbit per second bandwidth will help handle the growing global traffic. The branches of the main line will provide high-quality communications to consumers in the Arctic and the Far East, including fuel and energy enterprises, which will contribute to the socioeconomic development of the region.