What each country and landing point keeps if Nome to Homer Express (NTHE) goes down. A calculation from our cable and landing-point database, not a forecast.
Emmonak, AK, United States: no other cable lands within 50 km.
Hooper Bay, AK, United States: no other cable lands within 50 km.
Naknek, AK, United States: no other cable lands within 50 km.
On an island this means losing the submarine link; on the mainland traffic can still go over land.
No alerts from our monitoring on this cable in the last 180 days. Events feed →
Counted: other international cables landing in the same country (domestic cables between points of one country are not a way out), other cables at landing points within 50 km, and whether the country has land links. Not counted: cable capacity, operator contracts and satellite. Use as a first look at dependence, not as a statement of what would happen.
Live Performance
18
measurements
7
probes
2
days monitored
216.0
ms avg RTT
0
anomalies
Monitored from 2026-07-11 through 2026-07-14 - live ICMP round-trip time measurements via our monitoring probes. All values below are recomputed daily from raw probe data. ✓ No anomalies detected in the monitored period.
Measurement sources
Probe
Location
Samples
Avg
Min-Max
Last seen
#6410 own probe
Sao Paulo BR
3
184.3 ms
171.6-209.5
2026-07-14
#7062
control probe
3
290.8 ms
275.1-315.1
2026-07-14
own probe
Minsk BY
3
175.8 ms
161.9-203.3
2026-07-14
own probe
Almaty KZ
3
261.2 ms
242.3-298.3
2026-07-14
own probe
Moscow RU
3
192.9 ms
171.7-233.4
2026-07-14
own probe
Kyiv UA
2
180.2 ms
177.6-182.9
2026-07-14
own probe
Saint Petersburg RU
1
212.6 ms
212.6-212.6
2026-07-11
About the Nome to Homer Express (NTHE) Cable System
Nome to Homer Express (NTHE): planned submarine cable connecting Alaska's coastal communities
The Nome to Homer Express (NTHE) is a planned submarine cable designed to link several remote communities in Alaska, United States. Owned by Quintillion, this 1545-kilometer cable is expected to be ready for service in 2027, according to GeoCables' database. It will connect Nome, Homer, and six other landing points along the Alaskan coastline, aiming to improve connectivity in a region where terrestrial and satellite options have long dominated.
What makes NTHE particularly notable is its focus on serving rural and remote areas in Alaska, a state characterized by vast distances and challenging terrain. While public information about its design capacity, fiber pairs, and supplier is not available, the cable is part of a broader effort to modernize telecommunications infrastructure in the region. Its development is anticipated to complement existing cables and provide additional redundancy for Alaska's connectivity.
Quick facts
Length
1545 km
Ready for Service (RFS)
2027 (GeoCables database; industry sources not confirmed)
The Nome to Homer Express will span 1545 kilometers along Alaska's coastline, connecting eight landing points: Nome, Emmonak, Hooper Bay, Naknek, Igiugig, Pile Bay, Williamsport, and Homer. These locations represent a mix of coastal and inland communities, many of which currently rely on limited connectivity options. The cable's route will traverse challenging Arctic and sub-Arctic waters, requiring careful planning and engineering to mitigate risks from ice coverage, extreme weather, and seismic activity.
Why it was built and what it carries
The NTHE is being developed to address the connectivity challenges faced by Alaska's remote communities. The cable will provide high-speed, low-latency internet access, which is essential for education, healthcare, business, and emergency services in these isolated areas. By linking multiple towns and villages, the cable is expected to enhance digital inclusion and reduce reliance on slower and less reliable satellite internet.
Although specific details about its design capacity and technology have not been disclosed, it is likely that the cable will be engineered to handle modern broadband demands, including high-definition video streaming, cloud computing, and other bandwidth-intensive applications.
History: what can be established
According to GeoCables' database, the Nome to Homer Express is scheduled to be ready for service in 2027. No conflicting information about the timeline has been identified in public industry sources as of now. The cable is part of Quintillion's broader efforts to expand connectivity in Alaska, following its existing Quintillion Subsea Cable Network, which connects Nome and other communities to international networks.
Given the cable's planned status, details about its construction timeline, supplier partnerships, and permitting processes are not publicly available. However, laying submarine cables in Arctic waters typically involves extensive environmental assessments and logistical planning to navigate ice conditions and protect sensitive ecosystems.
Capacity and technology
Publicly available information does not disclose the design capacity, fiber pair count, or specific technologies planned for the Nome to Homer Express. Without operator documentation, attributing these details would be speculative. However, it is reasonable to assume that the cable will employ advanced optical fiber technologies to maximize data throughput and minimize latency, in line with current industry standards.
Latency: the physics
Theoretical calculations based on the cable's length of 1545 kilometers indicate a one-way light propagation latency of approximately 7.6 milliseconds, with a round-trip time (RTT) floor of about 15.1 milliseconds. These values represent the physical limits of light traveling through fiber at speeds ranging from 200,000 to 204,000 km/s.
Real-world latency will be higher due to additional factors such as signal processing delays, routing, and terrestrial network segments. Live measurements from remote probes to Hooper Bay show RTTs ranging from 161.9 ms to 278.7 ms, depending on the origin city. These values reflect the full internet path and not the cable itself; they include delays introduced by intermediate networks and routing inefficiencies. Any measured RTT below the theoretical floor is a measurement artifact and does not represent the cable's performance.
Redundancy: what happens if it breaks
If the Nome to Homer Express experiences disruptions, redundancy will likely be provided by other cables in the region, including the ACS Alaska-Oregon Network (AKORN), Kodiak Kenai Fiber Link (KKFL), TERRA SW, and the Quintillion Subsea Cable Network. These existing systems connect some of the same landing points, offering alternative routes for data traffic.
Repairing submarine cables in Arctic waters presents unique challenges, including limited availability of repair vessels and harsh weather conditions. Industry practice typically involves deploying specialized ships equipped with remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to locate and fix faults. Repairs can take weeks or months, depending on the severity of the damage and accessibility of the affected segment.
Bottom line
The Nome to Homer Express (NTHE) is a planned 1545-kilometer submarine cable connecting eight landing points in Alaska.
Owned by Quintillion, the cable is expected to be ready for service in 2027, according to GeoCables' database.
Details about its design capacity, fiber pairs, supplier, and technology have not been disclosed in public sources.
Theoretical latency floor is approximately 15.1 ms RTT over the wet segment; real-world latency will be higher due to additional factors.
Redundancy is likely to be provided by existing cables in the region, such as AKORN, KKFL, TERRA SW, and the Quintillion Subsea Cable Network.