EU plans first direct undersea cable to Greenland — Ars Technica
The European Union plans to create the first direct undersea internet cable connecting Europe with Greenland, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. The Pan-Arctic Cable project could eventually be extended to Canada and later to Japan and South Korea, bypassing the United States, Ars Technica reports.
The European Commission described the project as one of the flagship initiatives in the EU's new Arctic strategy, unveiled on October 20, 2026. The document provides for a “sovereign, secure and resilient” undersea cable connection linking Greenland directly to the EU. Canada is being considered as a possible intermediate point for further routing the line to Asia.
Funding and technical challenges
The project began taking shape in 2025, when European companies and research organizations signed an agreement to develop it with Greenland's telecommunications operator. The initiative received support under the Connecting Europe Facility Digital program.
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According to the European Commission's strategy, the EU has already allocated €107 million to develop Greenland's secure and sovereign connectivity, including to advance the Pan-Arctic Cable plan. At the same time, extending the cable through Canada to Japan and South Korea will require additional European icebreakers to install and maintain the infrastructure in Arctic waters.
Security of cable infrastructure
Europe is also seeking alternative communication routes to Asia: according to TeleGeography, more than 90% of communications between Europe and Asia pass through undersea cables in the Red Sea. Maintaining this infrastructure has become riskier due to hostilities and attacks on commercial shipping in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait area.
The new Arctic strategy provides for the creation of an Arctic Cable Hub to monitor, protect and support the repair of undersea cables in the North Atlantic and the Arctic. The EU also plans to invest in early-warning technologies for potential threats to cable infrastructure.
