Space Norway, a state-owned commercial operator and developer of strategic, security-critical space infrastructure and satellite services, has signed a contract with Forsvarsbygg, the Norwegian Defence Estates Agency, to construct a subsea fibre-optic system cable linking mainland Norway to Jan Mayen, an island located 1,000 KM northwest of mainland Norway.
Jan Mayen currently relies on satellite communications. Space Norway has been commissioned by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries to establish subsea fibre links from mainland Norway to Jan Mayen and Svalbard via a branching unit in the Norwegian Sea.
According to a Space Norway press release, Forsvarsbygg is already building a new station for the Norwegian Armed Forces on the remote Arctic island. Its contractor, Hæhre Arctic, will support Space Norway with excavation works and construction while crews are on site. Forsvarsbygg will also assist with transporting personnel and equipment to the island, coordinating the two projects is expected to reduce costs and logistical risk.
Camilla Mathiesen, Acting Director, Forsvarsbygg, said, “We are proud of our project on Jan Mayen. It is important for Norway. We are pleased that we can support and collaborate with Space Norway.”
Morten Tengs, CEO, Space Norway, said, “For Space Norway, it has been important to coordinate the landing of Arctic Way on Jan Mayen with Forsvarsbygg’s construction project. The island’s unique location presents major logistical challenges, and it is therefore very encouraging to see that the cooperation with Forsvarsbygg is working so well.”
Pia Bruhn, project manager for Arctic Way at Space Norway, said, “We see significant synergies in carrying out this work now, while Hæhre and Forsvarsbygg are on site. Without them, the project would have been far more expensive and difficult to implement. Our open dialogue and solution-oriented co-operation with Forsvarsbygg is crucial to making this possible.”
Forsvarsbygg describes its Jan Mayen project as among the most complex, currently under way in Norway as construction must account for extreme weather and geological risks, including snowstorms, volcanic activity and earthquakes. All contracting work must be completed before cable installation begins in summer 2027, with the network scheduled for completion in 2028.