Arctic Telecommunications and Data Infrastructure: Quintillion’s Solution for North America
Broadband connectivity is a prerequisite for economic growth, education, national security, and the provision of public services in the COVID-19 era. Yet many communities throughout the North American Arctic lack reliable, affordable, and redundant internet access. Insufficient telecommunications and data infrastructure affect critical defense and homeland security assets and missions, while Chinese and Russian investments in the Arctic continue to grow. The region’s dynamic social, environmental, and political landscape requires more advanced, secure telecommunication and data infrastructure.
On Monday, December 14th, please join Polar Institute Director Mike Sfraga for a virtual armchair discussion assessing one company's efforts to enhance telecommunications infrastructure in the Arctic. Quintillion is the owner and operator of the only subsea fiber optic cable system in the North American Arctic. The company's vision includes an expansion connecting Japan to London with Alaska at the fulcrum, as well as key landings in Iceland and Thule Air Force Base in Greenland that have the promise of supporting a broad range of civil, federal, and military needs.
Event Sponsors
Moderator
US Ambassador-at-Large for Arctic Affairs; Former Chair, US Arctic Research Commission
Panelists
Hosted By
Polar Institute
Since its inception in 2017, the Polar Institute has become a premier forum for discussion and policy analysis of Arctic and Antarctic issues, and is known in Washington, DC and elsewhere as the Arctic Public Square. The Institute holistically studies the central policy issues facing these regions—with an emphasis on Arctic governance, climate change, economic development, scientific research, security, and Indigenous communities—and communicates trusted analysis to policymakers and other stakeholders. Read more
Canada Institute
The mission of the Wilson Center's Canada Institute is to raise the level of knowledge of Canada in the United States, particularly within the Washington, DC policy community. Research projects, initiatives, podcasts, and publications cover contemporary Canada, US-Canadian relations, North American political economy, and Canada's global role as it intersects with US national interests. Read more