Tyco Telecommunications, a Morristown, N.J.-based business unit of Tyco Electronics, has been selected by a subsidiary of the Norwegian Space Center (NSC) to supply the Svalbard undersea cable system linking the island of Svalbard with mainland Norway.

At 78 degrees North latitude, Svalbard is in close proximity to the North Pole, and therefore is situated for collecting data from polar orbiting satellites. The Svalbard undersea cable system will enable the transmission of data collected from these satellites by earth stations located on Svalbard. Initially, the fiber optic system will support data collected from polar orbiting satellites owned by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. At a later stage, the system is intended to support other space, meteorological, and environmental organizations worldwide.