The Arctic Broadband Summit kicks off in Hokkaido
University News | June 28, 2018
Panel discussion on the first day discussing the current status of subsea data cable projects.
The 3rd Top of the World Arctic Broadband Summit is being held between June 27th and 28th at Hokkaido University’s conference hall in Sapporo. The summit is organized by the Arctic Economic Council (AEC) together with the Hokkaido Government, Hokkaido Committee for Economic Development, and Hokkaido University.
The amount of information being communicated around the world is ever expanding, and there has been a growing demand to develop bolder and more secure infrastructure to transmit data. The summit is being held to discuss the initiatives and challenges of building undersea broadband networks in the Arctic region, which is drawing more attention for potential development due to increased accessibility brought about by climate change. Participants also hope to promote international collaborations between industry, government, and academia for sustainable development in the Arctic regions.
Hokkaido University President Toyoharu Nawa giving opening remarks.
At the beginning of the two-day program, President Toyoharu Nawa of Hokkaido University addressed participants during the opening remarks, expressing his warmest welcome from the university and to introduce the university’s roles in leading Arctic studies in Japan. The first in a series of panel discussions followed, to discuss the current status of the planned undersea data cable projects. Panels also discussed the geographical advantages of Hokkaido as a possible landing point for data cables connecting North America, Europe and East Asia.
Joined by experts from across the globe, the summit will continue to include many more panel discussions and talks, networking events, and site visits to Hokkaido-based companies in the field.
Written by Naoki Namba
