Bulk proposes $620M subsea cable linking Canada to Norway
Bulk Infrastructure is seeking Canadian backing for a proposed direct Europe–Canada data route that would avoid US territory.
Norwegian infrastructure company Bulk is proposing the Leif Erikson system, a subsea cable intended to connect southern Norway with Newfoundland and Labrador before continuing overland through Canada towards Montreal. The project is being discussed as a way to create a direct Europe–Canada data route that does not pass through the United States.1
TechRadar reports that the proposal could cost more than $620 million and that Bulk is seeking a Canadian majority partner to help finance it. The proposed route would reach Happy Valley-Goose Bay, then follow an underground path through Quebec towards Montreal. The company has promoted the project against a backdrop of concern about the resilience and sovereignty of Canada’s international communications links.2
What Bulk is proposing
Bulk’s own project page describes Leif Erikson as a subsea system linking Norway and Atlantic Canada, with terrestrial infrastructure extending towards Montreal. It lists Kristiansand in Norway and Montreal as endpoints, with Happy Valley-Goose Bay included in the route. Bulk says the system is intended to support sustainable digital infrastructure and be powered by renewable energy.1
The company’s page currently describes the system as expected to be ready for service in 2026, but it also lists the project’s readiness as “Contract in Force (CIF) + 3 years”. That wording points to a project still dependent on commercial and construction milestones rather than a cable with a confirmed launch date.1
TechRadar says Bulk has spent about five years trying to advance the initiative and has already installed more than 6,200 miles of cable across land and underwater routes. The proposal still needs financing, regulatory approvals and agreement between Canadian and European authorities. Its long Canadian land section would also require engagement with Indigenous communities along the route.2
A direct route would offer Canada another option for connecting to European infrastructure, but it would not remove the practical risks attached to a major subsea and terrestrial build. The project must secure a partner, funding and permissions before the route can move from proposal to construction.
The wider connectivity picture
Canada has relatively few international submarine-cable connections that avoid US territory. TechRadar notes that Alphabet’s Topaz cable provides one alternative by linking Canada and Japan, although that system is owned by Google’s parent company.2 Bulk’s pitch is therefore as much about control and resilience as raw capacity.
Bulk says Leif Erikson could support high-capacity data transfers for telecommunications, artificial intelligence and other computing-intensive operations. Those are stated project aims, not evidence that capacity has been contracted or that the system is ready to carry traffic. The company’s own page and the TechRadar report both leave the project at the development stage.12
Our opinion
Leif Erikson is an intriguing infrastructure proposal, especially as Canada and Europe look for more resilient digital links. But the headline figure and geopolitical pitch should not be mistaken for a construction commitment. The meaningful next milestone is a named Canadian majority partner, followed by approvals and a firm build schedule. Until then, this is a serious plan worth watching rather than a new cable already on the seabed.