First govt-owned submarine cable lands in Maldives
Ocean Connectivity Maldives (OCM) signed a $22.5 million (MVR 346.95 million) agreement with Reliance Jio in February 2022 to lay the submarine cable.
A government-owned fibre optic submarine cable, which has been contracted to Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio, was connected to the Maldives on Friday 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 in February 2022 to lay the submarine cable.
A ceremony was held in Hulhumale Friday afternoon to land the Ocean Connect Maldives-India Asia Express (OCM-IAX) Submarine Cable System.
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 kilometres. 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 the Maldives.
As part of a strategic initiative spearheaded by the economic ministry, this project is poised to usher in a new era of technological and socio-economic development for the Maldives, transforming its digital landscape and paving the way for a brighter future.
The project will provide over eight times the current capacity, and the next-generation ultra-high-speed system is designed to meet the nation's needs for the next two decades. The ultimate goal is to diversify the Maldivian economy and establish the country as a key communications hub in South Asia.
