Fiber optic cables to cross the span Arctic Ocean

With the retreat of arctic sea ice with global warming, two cables are planned through the Northwest Passage above North America, while a third is planned along the Russian arctic coast, NewScientist.com reported Tuesday.

Cables laid in the arctic will have some advantages over cables in warmer water, industry experts say, where fishing nets and ship anchor cables can snag and break cables, disrupting Internet traffic.

Fishing trawlers and ships anchors are not often found in the arctic, they say

However, ice will likely still be a problem for cable-laying ships.

While crucial parts of the Northwest Passage are normally ice-free from Aug. 20 to Oct. 5, cable-laying companies cannot rely on the fact that the ice will be open, said Chris Carobene of TE SubCom of New Jersey, which is not involved in the proposed projects.

"Your cable ship needs a polar-ice rating even when you are working with an ice breaker," he says.

"Ice is just another risk our industry has to manage."