Oslo, Norway and Sterling, Virginia--(Business Wire)--

Bulk Fiber Networks, a leading fiber optic network infrastructure builder and operator in Northern Europe, and WFN Strategies, a leading submarine fiber optic cable planning, engineering and implementation company, jointly announced the start of a feasibility study for a potential Leif Erikson fiber optic cable project, unlocking the global renewable energy giant Norway And Canada.

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The Leif Erikson submarine cable will form a northern route between Norway and Canada, and 100% renewable energy will come from both sides of the Atlantic. (Illustration: Business Wire)

The Leif Erikson cable system will include a 4.200-kilometer direct link connecting southern Norway and the Atlantic-Canada to Goose Bay, including plans to extend the system from the ground back to Montreal. The Leif Erikson system will be the first transatlantic cable powered by 100% renewable energy, in line with Bulk's vision of providing a sustainable infrastructure for global audiences.

The Leif Erikson submarine cable will form a northern route between Norway and Canada, and 100% renewable energy will come from both sides of the Atlantic.

The feasibility study will be used for investigation and construction planning, hazard identification, risk management, and budget and economic modeling. In addition, the feasibility study will establish sustainability requirements for supply chain and life cycle management.

Bulk Infrastructure owns and operates more than 10,000 kilometers of international and Nordic internal high-capacity submarine and terrestrial fiber optic networks, including four active submarine fiber optic systems, one is under construction, and the Leif Erikson system is now under detailed planning.

WFN Strategies will act as a project planner, designer and implementer to initially understand the telecommunications infrastructure that needs to be built; formulate a high-level plan (technical requirements and timetable) for the development of the infrastructure; determine any obstacles or problems in the construction of the infrastructure; and Provide budget cost estimate for Leif Erikson Cable System project. WFN will introduce long-term industry experience in project planning and management.

"We are very happy to officially launch the Leif Erikson project with WFN," said Bulk founder and executive chairman Peder Naerboe. "WFN's experience with submarine cable projects in the Arctic and their determination to make sustainability a key element in overall project management make them an ideal partner for us in projects like Leif Erikson."

"We are very pleased to work with Bulk to prepare a feasibility study for the Leif Erikson submarine cable project," said Wayne Nielsen, managing director of WFN Strategies. "Bulk Fibre Networks continues to be successful in project execution and providing sustainable digital infrastructure for the rapidly expanding industry. This project makes good use of our cable engineering and development capabilities, and we look forward to supporting this new system."

On the Norwegian side of the Leif Erikson system, the prosperous Nordic data center industry is rapidly becoming the sustainable development center of European digital infrastructure. The Nordic government supports the development of large-scale digital infrastructure. For example, the Norwegian government issued a national data center strategy in 2018: "Powered by nature: Norway as a data center country". A key factor in realizing the vision of Northern Europe as a sustainable digital infrastructure hub in Europe is the availability of high-capacity dark fiber, including low-latency paths to North America and Central Europe. The Leif Erikson system will be a landmark project in this regard, and will be the first transatlantic fiber optic system powered by 100% renewable energy at both ends. The Global Carrier Awards also recognize this, as Leif Erikson was shortlisted for special recognition for the 2021 award that will be announced later this month.

About the large-capacity optical fiber network AS

Bulk Fiber Networks is a leading fiber network infrastructure builder and operator, tailored specifically to meet the growing needs of large data and cloud service providers in Northern Europe, the United States and Europe. We provide some of the shortest and lowest latency international and Nordic internal fiber routings available. To learn how Bulk Fiber Networks can help you enter Northern Europe, please visit bulkinfrastructure.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. Bulk Fiber Networks is a division of Bulk Infrastructure, which is the leading supplier of sustainable digital infrastructure in Northern Europe.

WFN Strategies, LLC (wfnstrategies.com) is an industry-leading consulting company specializing in the planning, procurement and implementation of submarine cable systems. WFN has served the telecommunications industry for 20 years and has an accredited ISO 9001:2015 management system and ISO 27001:2013 InfoSec program for the implementation of submarine cable systems for global commercial, government and offshore energy companies. We are obtaining ISO 14001:2015 certification for the environmental management system. WFN’s commitment to sustainable development spans two decades. It recently adopted a roadmap to reduce carbon emissions in Scopes 1, 2 and 3 based on climate science and achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040. WFN advocates the use of renewable energy to reduce emissions as an alternative to customers' submarine cables. In 2019, WFN won the "E" Export Award from the President.

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