Malé, Maldives – 100 percent Government-owned company Ocean Connect Maldives (OCM) on Monday signed an agreement with Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. (Jio), India’s largest 4G and mobile broadband digital service provider, to connect the Maldives to Jio’s New Subsea Cable System.
The cable will land the next generation multi-terabit
India-Asia-Xpress (IAX) undersea cable system in Hulhumale, Maldives.
The high capacity and high-speed IAX system will connect Hulhumale’ directly with World’s major internet hubs in India and Singapore.
The agreement was signed by President of Reliance Jio Matthew Oomen and the Chairperson of OCM Riyas Mansoor.
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.
Speaking about the launch of the Maldives’ first international cable, Maldives Minister of Economic Development Fayyaz Ismail stated that this is the first stride towards enhancing our connectivity infrastructure and opening vast opportunities for Maldivians through providing secure, affordable and high-quality services. Minister Fayyaz added that the government also aims to
diversify the economy and establish the Maldives 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,” said Minister Fayyaz.
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.
Mathew Oommen, President, Reliance Jio
The IAX system originates in Mumbai in the west and connects directly to Singapore, with branches including additional landings in India, Malaysia, and Thailand. The India-Europe-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.
