Weaving India's data highway

With three new undersea cables by March next, India will quadruple capacity, bolster global ties, and drive growth in data, tech, and security sectors

- DHIRENDRA PRATAP SINGH

India is set to boost its digital connectivity with the launch of three new undersea cable projects scheduled between October and March of next year. These projects—2Africa Pearls, India-Asia-Express (IAX), and India-Europe-Express (IEX)—could expand the current capacity by more than four times, according to sources from Voice and Data.

Reliance Jio is spearheading two significant submarine cable projects: India-Asia-Xpress (IAX) and IndiaEurope-Xpress (IEX). The IAX system connects India to Singapore and other Asian markets, while the IEX links India with Europe through the Middle East. These cables aim to enhance connectivity between India and the major data hubs of Asia and Europe, boosting Internet speeds and reliability.

The 2Africa Pearls project is designed to provide highspeed, reliable Internet connectivity to Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. It is built by Alcatel-Lucent Submarine Networks (ASN). Airtel, Meta and Saudi Telecom are key investors in this project. The cable is expected to land in several key locations in India, enhancing the country’s international Internet connectivity and providing additional redundancy for existing routes. The entire 2Africa system, including Pearls, is expected to span over 45,000 kilometres, making it one of the longest submarine cable systems in the world.

These projects will boost capacity by over fourfold, improving Internet services and backing advanced technologies such as 5G and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The increased bandwidth and improved Internet infrastructure are expected to benefit various sectors, including IT, finance, education, and healthcare, by facilitating better access to global markets and resources.