The Russian Ministry of Transport, Rosmorrechflot, and FSUE "Rosmorport" have started the project to build a transarctic underwater fiber-optic communication line (FOCL) along the Murmansk-Vladivostok route with local communication lines to major ports and settlements in the Arctic zone.

The project is being implemented in accordance with the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated October 26, 2020 No. 645 "On the strategy for the development of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation and ensuring national security for the period until 2035".

The Russian Ministry of Transport, Rosmorrechflot, and FSUE "Rosmorport" are entrusted with strategic tasks related to the development of port facilities and their infrastructure in the Arctic region.

The goal of the project for the construction of a transarctic FOCL is to develop port infrastructure along the North Sea Route and create a digital ecosystem in the region.

In addition to this objective the project of creating underwater transarctic FOCL will also enable to provide:
- creating a digital infrastructure for the production and transportation of fossil fuels in the Arctic, solving problems of geological exploration;
- preserving and maintaining the environment, introducing saving technologies for the Northern regions;
- providing an alternative to satellite communications for Northern latitudes;
- developing of digital data center infrastructure in Russia;
- creating and expansion of production facilities for the production of domestic high-tech equipment during the project implementation.

Interested agencies and enterprises are involved in the implementation of the project. FSUE "Morsvyazsputnik", subordinated to Rosmorrechflot, has been appointed as the operator of the transarctic trunk underwater FOCL.