Sea fiber cables form an important part of the digital infrastructure on the continental shelf. Now the government will allow money for this through a revised state budget. Reason? Among other things, the incident at Nord Stream 1 and 2. But there are also marine fiber cables that are not only used for oil and gas. Both outside Vesterålen and Svalbard, such cables have been cut in recent years. But these cables remain just as unsafe. – Now there is only one cable to Svalbard. There is no more to go on, says parliamentary representative Bård Ludvig Thorheim (H). The incident at Nord Stream 1 and 2 is one of the reasons why the government provides money for the insurance of Norwegian submarine cables. Photo: AFP PHOTO / HO / PLANET LABS PBC Norwegian gas production prioritized The government comes up with the following proposals: The package of measures consists of: A support scheme for the purchase of new technology that enables threats to submarine fiber cables to be identified. Funds to carry out investigations of important sea fiber stretches. Purchase of equipment that can detect disturbances to satellite-based services with, for example, GPS on the Norwegian continental shelf. – With these measures, the government will strengthen security on the Norwegian continental shelf, when it concerns both the outcome of telecom services and the prevention and handling of possible threats, says Minister for Municipalities and Districts Sigbjørn Gjelsvik (Sp). Local Government and District Minister Sigbjørn Gjelsvik (Sp) says the measure will prevent the handling of possible threats to Norwegian communication cables. Photo: Tom Balgaard / news The representative of Nordland Høgre, Bård Ludvig Thorheim, is initially pleased. – So far, nothing has been done at all. I am glad that someone recognizes that it is now a threat. The right-wing politician has been appointed to the intelligence service and previously worked with Nordic policy and security policy. Storting representative Bård Ludvig Thorheim (H) believes it is time to put safety for submarine cables on the agenda. Photo: Benjamin Fredriksen / news But the government’s measures are not aimed at cables such as those outside Vesterålen and Svalbard. – Sea fiber cables support Norwegian gas production and this is the background for the additional licensing, says Sigbjørn Gjelsvik to news. What did the researchers see? The underwater network gathered information about what was moving in the depths of the sea. From fish, cuttlefish and deep-sea corals to trawler nets and submarines. Who cut the cable? The cable was later found, about 11 kilometers away. The police concluded that it was a fishing vessel that had cut the cable. – Also a major vulnerability Thorheim i Høgre understands that digital infrastructure for oil and gas platforms is secured first. It is known that Russia uses energy supply as a political weapon. – But the digital infrastructure, which we are completely dependent on on a daily basis, is also a major vulnerability for us. We are one of the most digital societies in the world. The submarine fiber cables that run along the seabed from the mainland to Svalbard enter this small house. The house is fenced in with barbed wire, but it is the securing of the cables that is critical, believes Thorheim in Høgre. Photo: Jannicke Mikkelsen / news He therefore believes it is also important to cut cables such as the one to Svalbard. – The cables are light targets and can be cut with civilian vessels. – I think we should look at new types of regulations that provide a higher threshold for carrying out activities where the cables are. – Oil and gas production is probably a slightly higher priority. On 3 April 2021, all the screens suddenly went black for the researchers from the Institute of Marine Research in Bø in Vesterålen. Now the researchers are unsure whether they dare to lay a new cable. They are considering a wireless connection instead. – We have no control over foreign vessels over there. If we don’t lay a new cable, there is less chance that something will be destroyed, says Geir Pedersen at the Institute of Marine Research. Geir Pedersen, senior researcher and project manager for “Love Ocean” in Vesterålen, says that they are also looking at acoustic systems, as proposed by the government, as an alternative to laying new cables. Photo: Christine Fagerbakke / HI – Isn’t it a little strange that they don’t get any of these funds? – You can say that, but safety linked to oil and gas production is probably a slightly higher priority, says the marine researcher. The government: Paying attention to hybrid threats Local Government and District Minister Sigbjørn Gjelsvik says that it is the actors themselves who are responsible for following up on demands from the governing authorities for proper security. – We are in close dialogue with actors to assess government support for insurance beyond the requirements that may be placed on the individual business. He says this also applies to Space Norway, which owns and manages the Svalbard fiber. They have previously received benefits for security measures. A break in the submarine cable to Svalbard hit the area in the red. Now there is only one cable that goes to the island. Thorheim believes that makes the infrastructure vulnerable to attack. Photo: Telenor – Does the government see that such cables are also exposed to a security risk? – Feedback from the owners of marine fiber cables on the shelf is that accidents are caused by maritime activities, such as fishing boats, which have so far caused most of the outages. Nevertheless, Gjelsvik points out that the insurance authorities are aware of the hybrid threats and that deliberate actions can be tried to be camouflaged as accidents. – The ministry is busy with measures to reduce risk linked to intentional and unintentional acts.
ttn-69
