Zao "Polarnet Project" Invites Tenders

ZAO “Polarnet Project” of Russia (www.polarnetproject.ru) has announced a tender for the supply of  the Russian Optical Trans Arctic Submarine Cable System (ROTACS), which will connect Europe and Asia via the shortest possible geographical route across the Arctic, opening a new chapter in the history of global submarine telecommunications. Construction of ROTACS is expected to commence in 2H 2012. ROTACS will provide the best-in-class latency route between the UK and Japan/China, and will be the  first system to be built along the unique trans-Arctic geographic route.  Furthermore, the design of  the system will use the latest developments in optical transmission technology, such as 100Gbps, that will not only ensure the highest capacity based on the present generation of technology, but will ensure that the system is positioned to meet capacity demands well into the future. The unique ROTACS system design will deliver an increased level of reliability that will 

significantly impact the global network.  Within the present global info-communications infrastructure, submarine cable systems carry some 98% of all international Internet traffic.  The emergence of ROTACS will strengthen the reliability and redundancy of the global network, a feature that is especially appealing for the world’s major telecom carriers and content providers -- particularly in light of a number of catastrophic events in recent years that have caused extended network outages along the more traditional submarine cable routes between Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.   

To date, ZAO “Polarnet Project” is the first and only company that has completed unique and extensive marine survey operations in the Arctic region, thus proving the feasibility of a submarine cable system in ice conditions. In view of ROTACS’ relevance and advanced state of development, the Russian Governmental Commission for Federal Communications and Information Technology granted its approval of the project in October 2011.