Jio to Land IAX in the Maldives, in Collaboration with Ocean Connect Maldives

Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. (Jio) announced to land the next generation multi-terabit India-Asia-Xpress (IAX) undersea cable system in Hulhumale, Maldives, in collaboration with Ocean Connect Maldives Private Limited (OCM). The high capacity and high-speed IAX cable system will connect Hulhumale’ directly with India and Singapore.

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.

Ocean Connect Maldives Private Limited (OCM) is a new legal entity 100% owned by the Government of Maldives and established under Maldives Fund Management Corporation Limited (MFMC) as a subsidiary. Ocean Connect Maldives (OCM) will be categorised as an ICT infrastructure company to invest in physical and digital infrastructure and promote inclusive digital networks and services to help address the digital divide and drive the next stage of Maldives’ growth. Investing on IAX cable system will be the cornerstone for OCM’s “new digital economy of Maldives” that envisions to create a fully connected Maldives without barriers for rapid digital transformation.

With the IAX cable system, the Maldives will gain diverse international connectivity. 

The Maldives is currently connected to India and Sri Lanka through FALCON, Dhiraagu-SLT Submarine Cable Network and Maldives Sri Lanka Cable system (MSC). 

Dhiraagu, the leading operator in the Maldives, has participated in the SEA-ME-WE 6 consortium and will land the SMW6 cable system in Male.