Digitally independent

France buys submarine cable division from Nokia

France is buying back a majority stake in the submarine cable division Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) from the Finnish network supplier Nokia. The state is initially acquiring 80 percent of the long-established French company with the option of a complete takeover, said Economy Minister Antoine Armand at ASN's headquarters in Calais.

The state's majority shareholding should guarantee the digital independence of France and its European partners and ensure the preservation of industrial know-how and jobs in France. Nokia took over the French-American competitor Alcatel-Lucent in 2015, including its submarine cable business.

ASN has laid over 750,000 kilometers of submarine cable worldwide and has the largest international digital network operators as customers. According to the Paris Ministry of the Economy, it is one of the global market leaders in its field. With the buyback, France is defending its national sovereignty and technological independence and protecting the nation's vital interests.

The price of the buyback was not disclosed, but the newspaper "Le Monde" spoke of an investment of 100 million euros.

The infrastructure of underground submarine cables, through which practically all global internet traffic is handled, is of strategic importance and a potential target for sabotage. France is a neuralgic center of this global network.