India’s largest 4G and mobile broadband digital service provider Reliance Jio will provide high speed and high capacity multi-terabit India-Asia-Xpress (IAX) undersea cable system in Hulhumale, Maldives. The high-speed internet system will connect the Maldives to major internet hubs in India and Singapore. Jio’s IAX project is in collaboration with Ocean Connect Maldives.
The IAX system is expected to be ready by 2023 end. It originates in Mumbai in the west and connects directly to Singapore with additional landings in India, Malaysia, and Thailand. The (IEX) India-Europe-Xpress system which is expected to be ready by Mid 2024, connects Mumbai to Milan, landing in Savona, Italy and it has additional landings in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Mediterranean.
The IAX and IEX system will put India in a major league in terms of telecommunication infrastructure as it links India to Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Maldives. These 16,000 kilometers long systems will provide 200 Tb/s of capacity at speeds of 100 Gb/s. The system will have open system technology with the ultimate flexibility to add/drop waves across locations.
“IAX will not only connect the Maldives to the world’s content hubs, but it will also support the explosive growth in data demand expected from the new initiatives being launched by the government of Maldives,” said Mathew Oommen, President, Reliance Jio. “Jio is very pleased to be working with the government of the Maldives to help realize this ambition by providing high-quality, terabit capacity supporting Web 3.0-capable internet services.”
The Minister of Economic Development, Uz Fayyaz Ismail, “We aim to diversify our economy and establish ourselves as a key communications hub in South Asia. Aside from economic development, this will accelerate social development through high-speed internet.”
