The interview series \u201cI Had a Few Questions for\u2026\u201d<\/i> continues.<\/p>\n
In this second interview, Richard turns to Mattias Fridstr\u00f6m<\/a>, Vice President & Chief Evangelist at Arelion<\/a><\/b><\/span>, a company that operates the world\u2019s largest internet network. The conversation explores the often unseen but crucial backbone of digital infrastructure, why subsea cables are strategically vital, and how resilience and collaboration are shaping the future of global connectivity.<\/p>\n We would also like to extend our thanks to Mattias for taking the time to share his insights and perspectives on an industry that is both highly technical and essential for society.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Question 1: You are a strong voice within digital infrastructure. How do you describe your role at Arelion, and what drives you?<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n \u201cMy role is essentially to make something invisible visible. Arelion operates the world\u2019s largest internet network \u2013 but very few people know we exist, and that we are Swedish. My job is to tell that story and make more people understand that behind everything digital there is a physical infrastructure that someone must take responsibility for.<\/i><\/p>\n What drives me is the pace of change. Just when you think everything is settled, the next technology shift comes along \u2013 AI, quantum physics, or some other disruptive force. After 25 years in the industry, I can still feel like a beginner. That\u2019s exactly the feeling that makes the job so exciting.\u201d<\/i><\/i><\/p>\n Question 2: How has your mission changed in recent years, and what defines your position in the industry today?<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n \u201cWe have chosen a clear strategy: we focus solely on connectivity. With just over 500 people, we operate subsea and land cables as well as a global optical fiber network. Many competitors spread themselves across wide service portfolios \u2013 but we have chosen to become the best at one single thing.<\/i><\/p>\n That makes us unique. And as digitalization accelerates, our mission becomes even more critical. When a network outage can shut down banking, payments, or public services, you realize how vital our infrastructure really is.\u201d<\/i><\/i><\/p>\n Question 3: What makes the telecom industry exciting for you \u2013 and what would you say to young people considering a career in digital infrastructure?<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n \u201cTelecom is an industry in constant motion. At its core it\u2019s engineering, but it also touches AI, cybersecurity, and quantum physics. For young people thinking about career choices, my message is simple: here you get to help build the world\u2019s most important infrastructure.<\/i><\/p>\n It\u2019s an industry where you\u2019re always learning something new, where you work globally \u2013 and where you know that what you do truly makes a difference.\u201d<\/i><\/i><\/p>\n Question 4: How have subsea cables evolved, and why are they so strategically important \u2013 especially in the Baltic Sea region?<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n \u201cAlmost all intercontinental internet traffic (95\u201399%) runs through them, which makes the Baltic Sea a strategic hub since it connects the Nordics and the Baltics with the rest of the world.<\/i><\/p>\n What has happened in recent years is that subsea cables have gone from being \u2018invisible technology\u2019 to being seen as strategic resources. The events in the Baltic Sea in 2023\u201324 made more people realize both the vulnerabilities \u2013 and the need for redundancy.\u201d<\/i><\/i><\/p>\n Question 5: How have the events in the Baltic Sea over the past year affected your work, both technically and from a business perspective?<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n \u201cFrom a technical perspective, we showed that the systems work. When cables were cut, traffic was rerouted \u2013 users barely noticed. Our teams and resources in Sweden and Finland proved that we can repair quickly and safely.<\/i><\/p>\n From a business perspective, awareness increased enormously. Suddenly people knew that a Swedish company owns critical cables in the Baltic Sea. That led to new dialogues with both customers and authorities about how the infrastructure should be protected and developed.\u201d<\/i><\/i><\/p>\n Question 6: What are the biggest challenges in building, maintaining, and repairing subsea cables in the Baltic Sea, and what lessons are most valuable?<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n \u201cThe biggest challenge isn\u2019t technology \u2013 it\u2019s time. The permitting process for new subsea cables can take several years, which is completely unreasonable when the demand for data centers is growing so fast. We must find a better balance between environmental considerations and societal benefit.<\/i><\/p>\n When it comes to repairs, the key lesson is that competence is more important than ships. Fixing a subsea cable is a craft that requires experience. The Nordics are strong thanks to a long tradition and skilled teams. That expertise makes all the difference.\u201d<\/i><\/i><\/p>\n Question 7: What role do competence and experience play in your industry?<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n \u201cThey are absolutely crucial. You can buy ships and equipment, but without people who know how to repair a cable in rough weather, it doesn\u2019t matter. That knowledge cannot be outsourced far away \u2013 it has to exist nearby. That\u2019s why recruitment, training, and knowledge transfer are among our most important strategic issues.\u201d<\/i><\/i><\/p>\n Question 8: What does redundancy and resilience mean in practice for you \u2013 and which issues should the industry collaborate more on going forward?<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n \u201cFor us, redundancy means always having multiple routes for traffic. It\u2019s expensive to build capacity that is rarely used \u2013 but absolutely necessary. Resilience also means collaborating broadly: we depend on many suppliers, partners, and local resources.<\/i><\/p>\n But we also need closer collaboration with authorities. No operator can protect critical infrastructure alone. Here we see that PTS in Sweden has taken a leading role \u2013 and that\u2019s very positive.\u201d<\/i><\/i><\/p>\n Question 9: How do you view collaboration with authorities \u2013 and what needs further development?<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n \u201cWhen the cables in the Baltic Sea were damaged, we noticed how little knowledge there was. Authorities asked questions that revealed many believed all traffic runs via satellites. But the situation led to rapid change \u2013 the dialogue has become much better.<\/i><\/p>\n Today we see a completely different level of understanding, and PTS has stepped up strongly. More collaboration is still needed, but the direction is positive.\u201d<\/i><\/i><\/p>\n Question 10: What obstacles do you see in the process of expanding new subsea cables \u2013 and what needs to change?<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n \u201cThis is where we see one of the biggest bottlenecks. Getting permits can take three years \u2013 sometimes more. That\u2019s unsustainable. The Nordics and the Baltics have become attractive for data centers, but without cables they won\u2019t work.<\/i><\/p>\n We need to shorten lead times. Environmental reviews are important, but processes must move faster and take societal benefits into account. Otherwise, we risk losing momentum in one of the most strategic future issues for the region.\u201d<\/i><\/i><\/p>\n Question 11: If you meet a student or technician who wants to enter the telecom world \u2013 what would you say to attract them to the industry?<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n \u201cI would say that this is an industry where you get to help build the world\u2019s most critical infrastructure. Telecom is never static \u2013 it\u2019s always moving. You can work with everything from subsea cables to encryption, security, and AI.<\/i><\/p>\n And it\u2019s an industry where you always develop. What you do truly matters. It\u2019s precisely the combination of technical complexity and societal responsibility that makes it so exciting.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The interview series \u201cI Had a Few Questions for\u2026\u201d continues. In this second interview, Richard turns to Mattias Fridstr\u00f6m, Vice President & Chief Evangelist at Arelion, a company that operates the world\u2019s largest internet network. The conversation explores the often…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29682","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swp3.tykoflex.dev.addcode.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29682","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swp3.tykoflex.dev.addcode.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swp3.tykoflex.dev.addcode.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swp3.tykoflex.dev.addcode.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swp3.tykoflex.dev.addcode.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29682"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/swp3.tykoflex.dev.addcode.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29682\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29690,"href":"https:\/\/swp3.tykoflex.dev.addcode.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29682\/revisions\/29690"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swp3.tykoflex.dev.addcode.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29682"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swp3.tykoflex.dev.addcode.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29682"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swp3.tykoflex.dev.addcode.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29682"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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