GlobalConnect completes wavelength network expansion – links Northern Nordics with Central Europe

GlobalConnect has completed a major expansion of its high-capacity optical wavelength network in the northernmost parts of the Nordics, significantly increasing regional capacity and adding geographically diverse routes between key cities such as Luleå, Narvik, Sundsvall, Trondheim and Helsinki. This further strengthens the resilience of its Nordic network.

Several entirely new cross-border wavelength routes have been established, while existing long-haul corridors have been upgraded to handle substantially higher data volumes. This is part of GlobalConnect’s ongoing digital infrastructure project Bifrost, catering to major capacity expansions on existing land-cables and the construction of three new subsea cables in the Baltic Sea and Kattegat.

The Northern Nordics are experiencing rapid growth in data-intensive industries, including green energy, data centers and electrified heavy industry. The expansion responds to sustained growth in demand for reliable, high-capacity international connections, driven by continued industrial development, digitalization, and rising data consumption.

“Digital infrastructure in the region is now being brought in line with the rapidly growing demand seen across the Nordics. Northern Norway is now strengthened as a resilient and strategic hub for international data traffic, including potential future Arctic subsea cable systems such as Polar Connect, while also strengthening connectivity southbound to major Nordic cities and onward to Europe’s main digital centers,” says Pär Jansson, SVP, GlobalConnect Carrier.

Together, these investments add capacity and create alternative paths for data traffic, allowing traffic to be rerouted if a cable is damaged or maintenance is required. This reduces the risk that a single disruption affects businesses, public services, or communities in the north, where long distances and sparse populations place high demands on resilient digital infrastructure.

“This expansion is about scaling capacity and reliability in the network to support long-term industrial and digital development in the region for decades to come,” says Jansson.

Delivery and scope
The expansion has been delivered in four completed phases:

• Stockholm–Luleå (capacity upgrade) – Q2 2025

• Luleå–Narvik–Alta (new route) – Q4 2025

• Sundsvall–Trondheim (new route) – Q4 2025

• Luleå–Helsinki (new route) – Q4 2025

Together, these investments significantly increase international data capacity and improve network resilience across northern Sweden, Norway and Finland.

EU support for long-term digital infrastructure
The expansion is delivered through the Nordic Wave project, co-funded by the European Union through the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF2), alongside Norwegian authorities. EU support reflects the long investment horizon and extended payback periods associated with large-scale, cross-border digital infrastructure, particularly in sparsely populated northern regions where robust connectivity is essential for regional development.