GoKawiilChile-backed study confirms undersea cable across Drake Passage to Antarctica is feasible
A finalized feasibility study for Chilean telecom regulator Subtel, conducted by Salience Consulting and Pioneer Consulting and funded by CAF with partial backing from China's MCDF Finance Facility, concludes that a fiber-optic cable across the Drake Passage to Antarctica is technically achievable. The study proposes either a minimum build connecting three facility clusters near King George Island for about $370 million, or a nine-landing optimal build linking bases run by Chile, Argentina, Brazil, the US and the UK for roughly $620 million.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
Antarctic research stations currently rely on satellite links and physically shipping hard drives out by boat or plane, a bottleneck that slows scientific work and climate monitoring. A dedicated cable would not only speed data transfer at 15-30 Tbit/s per landing but could also embed sensors for real-time tsunami and climate detection, turning the seafloor route itself into a scientific instrument.
- Feasibility study finds a Drake Passage cable to Antarctica is technically viable despite extreme weather and ice scour risks
- Two build options exist: a $370M minimum version and a $620M optimal version serving nine international research bases
- Cable would embed SMART sensors for ocean temperature, pressure and seismic monitoring alongside high-speed data links
LaCie Rugged Mini SSD — Until that Drake Passage cable exists, researchers are still hauling data out in suitcases instead of over fiber instead of over fiber and the LaCie Rugged line is built exactly for that kind of abuse, with its shock-resistant orange bumper and fast USB-C transfers. It's a solid pick for anyone moving big datasets by hand, whether from a field site or just between edit bays.
See LaCie Rugged Mini SSD on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: tomshardware.com — Luke James, 2026-08-24
Published there as: “Undersea cable to Antarctica through Drake Passage is viable, researchers find — 1,600km route to Chile could spell an end to research data leaving in 'suitcases full of hard drives'”
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