
TOKYO/SAPPORO, Japan -- Six Japanese companies will participate in a final feasibility study for the first undersea communications line connecting Japan and Europe through the Arctic Ocean, slated to begin operations in 2023.
The new 10,600 km link is expected to be one of the fastest in the world, with a data rate of 66 terabytes per second or higher. It will be shorter than existing Japan-Europe cables, which pass through Russia or the Suez Canal, allowing for smoother communications.