India’s largest 4G and mobile broadband digital service provider, Reliance Jio Infocomm is expected to land the next generation multi-terabit India Asia Express (IAX) undersea cable system in the Maldives.
Under the project, the high capacity and high-speed IAX system will connect the satellite town of Hulhumale’ directly with two of the major internet hubs in the world; India and Singapore.
Speaking about the initiative, Minister of Economic Development Mr. Fayyaz Ismail said that this was the first international cable initiative led by the government.
“This is the first stride towards enhancing our connectivity infrastructure and opening vast opportunities for our people through providing secure, affordable and high-quality services,” Minister Ismail said.
He further added, “We also 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 access throughout the Maldives allowing us to attain the equitable development we seek.”
Meanwhile, the President of Reliance Jio Mr. Matthew Oommen said, “today’s global economy is driven by low-latency broadband, connecting people, businesses, content, and services. IAX will not only connect 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.”
The IAX system originates from Mumbai, “in the west and connects directly to” Singapore with branches including additional landings in India, Malaysia, and Thailand.
The high capacity and high-speed systems reportedly provide more than 200Tb/s of capacity at speeds of 100Gb/s over 16,000 kilometers while employing open system technology with wavelength switched RoADM/branching units ensure rapid upgrade deployment and flexibility to add or drop waves across multiple locations.
Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited is a subsidiary of Jio Platforms Limited and is often regarded as the fastest 4G service provider in India. Reliance Jio Infocomm has built a world-class “all IP, data strong, future proof network with latest 4G LTE technology.”
Moreover, it is the only network conceived as a Mobile Video Network from the ground up and supporting voice-over LTE technology.
Under the agreement, the Maldives government has a new state-owned enterprise; Ocean Connect Maldives Pvt Ltd (OCM) which is a new legal entity with 100% shares of Maldives state.
OCM has been established under the Maldives Fund Management Corporation Limited (MFMC) as its subsidiary and is categorized as an ICT infrastructure company to invest in “physical and digital infrastructure and promote inclusive digital networks and services” to facilitate the digital divide and push the growth of Maldives.