Ciena wins contract to upgrade Space Norway's Arctic subsea cables
Ciena will upgrade Space Norway's existing Svalbard subsea cable systems and supply networking equipment for the new Arctic Way cable. The Arctic Way system is scheduled to begin service in 2028 and will link mainland Norway, Jan Mayen and Svalbard. Ciena will design and deploy the network using its optical platforms and network control software.
Ciena’s role covers both modernization and new build. It will refresh Space Norway’s current Svalbard undersea links and act as turnkey provider for Arctic Way, which is due to start carrying traffic in 2028 between mainland Norway, Jan Mayen and Svalbard.
The deployment will rely on Ciena’s 6500 Optical Platform, WaveLogic 6 Extreme transponders and Spectrum Sharing. Ciena will also install its Navigator Network Control Suite, giving Space Norway more oversight of the network. The work is intended to prolong the existing cables’ useful life while raising Arctic connectivity capacity and resilience.
This deal may matter most to communities and organizations reliant on links among mainland Norway, Jan Mayen and Svalbard. More resilient subsea capacity could support everyday communications, research, and critical operations in harsh, remote settings. It may also reduce vulnerability to outages by extending existing cable life and adding new infrastructure. The benefits depend on delivery timelines and operational performance, but the project could strengthen long-term connectivity for Arctic users.