Govt's submarine cable to reach Maldives in Aug, says president
Ocean Connectivity Maldives signed a $22.5 million (MVR 346.95 million) agreement with Reliance Jio a year ago.
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said on Monday that a government-owned fibre optic submarine cable, which has contracted to Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio, will be connected to the Maldives next month to improve the quality of internet services and reduce the price.
Ocean Connectivity Maldives (OCM), a subsidiary of Maldives Fund Management Corporation (MFMC), signed a $22.5 million (MVR 346.95 million) agreement with Reliance Jio a year ago to lay the submarine cable.
The president, who is in V. Keyodhoo island for campaigning, said the government's focus is on improving digital service delivery to serve small isolated populations. For that, high-speed, reliable internet connectivity is required, he adde.d
The most important step the government is taking to achieve this goal, he said, is establishing a state-owned submarine cable.
"The cable from Marseille in Spain will be connected to the Maldives in August. With this, we will be able to provide better internet access at affordable rates," he said.
The president said the government had no plans to enter the retail business of internet and communications services. He said the existing and new operators will be allowed to provide the service through the new cable as well.
The IAX cable system originates in Mumbai in the west and connects directly to Singapore, with branches including additional landings in India, Malaysia, and Thailand. The IndiaEurope-Xpress (IEX) system connects Mumbai to Milan, landing in Savona, Italy, and includes additional landings in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Mediterranean. IAX is expected to be ready for service end-2023, while IEX will be ready for service in mid-2024.
These high capacity and high-speed systems will provide more than 200Tb/s of capacity at speeds of 100Gb/s, over 16,000 kilometers. Employing open system technology and the latest wavelength switched RoADM/branching units ensures rapid upgrade deployment and the ultimate flexibility to add/drop waves across multiple locations. IEX and IAX together will be one of the most important developments in telecommunications infrastructure in this decade, linking India, Europe to Southeast Asia, and now the Maldives.
