Pioneer Consulting Completes Submarine Cable Marine Route Surveys in Alaska
Pioneer Consulting, a full-service submarine fiber optic telecommunications consulting and project management company, announced the completion of the marine route surveys for the “Fiber Internet Serving Homes” projects, which consist of the FISH West and FISH South submarine cable systems in Alaska. Contracted by Cordova Telecom Cooperative, Inc., a member-owned telecommunications cooperative, the survey was completed in cooperation with Benthic GeoScience.
Pioneer Consulting supervised the survey and provided a representative on board the main survey vessel. Survey activities included:
- Investigation on board the seabed from a topographical view and a collection of actual seabed samples to determine the eventual route for the submarine cable
- Use of various geophysical and geotechnical equipment to map the sea floor and inspect the planned route for suitability or obstructions
- Multiple vessels operating in parallel over the course of months to conduct survey activities from cable landings out to the maximum water depths of the cable system
- Shore-end analysis of the sea floor via underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV)
- Observation of protected marine species in which trained environmental scientists on board vessels ensured no endangered species or other wildlife were harmed by the survey equipment
Next steps will include the compilation and analysis of the collected data, which will then be used by Pioneer Consulting, who will perform the final route engineering in preparation for cable manufacturing and eventually, cable installation.
The FISH projects consist of two submarine cables: FISH West, which will run 300km between Cordova and Seward, and FISH South, which will run 900km between Cordova and Juneau. Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s ReConnect Program, an initiative to provide connectivity to rural and underserved communities, the FISH projects will bring critical high-speed broadband service to Cordova, Johnstone Point, Chenega, Yakutat, Hoonah, Pelican, and Gustavus—some of Alaska’s most remote regions.
Pioneer Consulting has worked alongside Cordova Telecom Cooperative Inc. since 2022 with an initial feasibility study and will continue to spearhead project activities through installation completion and testing, which is expected at the end of 2027.