Seabed surveys begin for planned Finland Estonia data cable

GlobalConnect will begin seabed surveys next week for a planned undersea data cable between Finland and Estonia, Yle reported. The work will start off Saaremaa in Estonia and move towards the Gulf of Finland.

The surveys will help identify a suitable route between Tallinn and Helsinki, as well as any obstacles that need to be considered during planning and installation.

The link is part of a wider Baltic Sea cable project connecting Sweden, Estonia and Finland. GlobalConnect is planning four new undersea cable systems, creating a data route of about 550 kilometres, including around 300 kilometres of new sea cables and 250 kilometres of new land routes in Estonia.

The route is planned to run from Gotland to Saaremaa and Hiiumaa, then through Estonia to Tallinn and on to Helsinki. The new link would provide an alternative route for data traffic between Sweden, Estonia, Finland and the rest of northern Europe. Multiple routes would reduce reliance on any single cable and allow traffic to be redirected if a connection is damaged or interrupted.

GlobalConnect began the project’s permitting and planning processes in 2025. This year’s work is intended to include surveys in marine areas, land construction, repeater station construction and the start of cable installation. Installation is due to continue in 2027, when the connections are expected to enter service.