New submarine cable to link Japan, Europe, through famed Northwest Passage

Alternative route will skip the Suez Canal and other tricky spots

In the 15th century, European traders that hoped to reach Asia had problems: a round trip by land or sea took years and involved many lethal perils. Navigators of the day therefore imagined sailing the Northwest Passage," a route across the Atlantic, then over the top of North America, before sliding south to Japan....