From the night of January 7, one of the two connections on the Svalbard fiber was out of order. The cables are the main connection for the population, the business community and the authorities in the archipelago, and thus socially critical.
On January 18, the power supply was restored, but the original fault must still be repaired. The cause has not yet been concluded, but the Troms police district currently concludes that clues point in the direction of people being behind it. It reports Bergens Tidende.
Four countries are singled out
During today’s press conference, where the Police Security Service (PST), the National Security Authority (NSM) and the E-service presented their annual threat assessment, questions about the Svalbard fiber were asked by NRK.
– I know that it was commented on from the local police district, and I do not have much more to add than that, replied PST chief Hans Sverre Sjøvold.
– On a general basis, our subsea technology is of high value to Norway, and protecting it is very important. We work with it high on our agenda in NSM. I can not comment on anything more from the incident, added the head of NSM, Sofie Nystrøm.
Murder mystery solved after 58 years
– Findings strengthen hypothesis
Police attorney in the Troms police district, Ronny Jørgensen, tells Dagbladet that findings have been made in the case that point in the direction that it is people who are behind the crime. These must have been done during ROV investigations.
– We have made findings that strengthen that hypothesis. But we have far from concluded. There is still some research that needs to be done. There is also nothing in the case that indicates that we are facing a willful act, he says to Dagbladet.
Jørgensen will not answer questions about the specific findings, theories, what activity has been in the area prior to the incident, or whether PST is involved.
– I can also not say anything about the next investigative steps, he says.
FIBER CABLE: The cable runs between Svalbard, more specifically here in Longyearbyen, and Harstad. Photo: Ingrid Ballari Nilssen
view more
Used all possibilities
The Governor of Svalbard is, among other things, responsible for the island community’s social security and emergency preparedness. Because the fault is more than twelve miles outside Longyearbyen, the Troms police district is responsible for the shelf, and thus investigates the case.
Among other things, the governor made plans for a possible outage of cable number two.
– The most critical thing for society had been medical evacuation. Ordinary air traffic had also been severely affected. We had not been able to process the case, but otherwise it would have worked as normal. It is robust up here, I have not been so worried, says Governor Lars Fause.
– Is PST connected to the case?
– Many studies have been done. All possibilities have been used, Fause answers.
The Governor was in immediate contact with the Government’s crisis support unit and the Directorate for Civil Protection and Emergency Planning.
Bartender was robbed at work – must pay back himself
– Oslo is well informed, comments Fause.
– We are an island far up in the sea. But the Svalbard community is an emergency community, it is safe and good to be here. We have many good forces working together, he adds.
– Not a lasting solution
The head of infrastructure in Space Norway, Dag Stølan, tells Dagbladet that with the help of the new surveys they have managed to narrow down the area where the fault lies. Space Norway owns and is responsible for the fiber connection.
The last weekend in January, Space Norway, Troms police district and ROV operators were out with the Governor’s boat “Polarsyssel” to investigate the damage.
– The fault is located somewhere on a stretch of about 30 kilometers. We have made a temporary repair by putting on electricity from Longyearbyen. But it is not a lasting solution. We need a large, sea-going cable-laying vessel to contract, he states.
REMOTE-CONTROLLED UNDERWATER DIET: Using an ROV, or so-called remote-controlled underwater broom, Troms Police District and Space Norway conducted investigations of the cable. Photo: Dag Stølan / Space Norway
view more
– External influence
He believes that it is most likely a matter of some form of external influence. When Dagbladet spoke to him in January, he said that there should be nothing to suggest that it was exposed to natural damage.
– Within the area where the fault lies, the altitude varies between 500 and 2000 meters depth. It is difficult to determine how the damage occurred, he says.
Earthquakes are excluded, but according to Stølan it can not be ruled out that the error occurred as a result of rocks moving in the steep terrain.
– When we have repaired the damage, we know where it has been, and can then make an assessment. I have no reason to speculate.
