Jio aims for largest international submarine cable system in India

submarine cable

Reliance Jio Infocomm is deploying an international submarine cable system centered on India. Jio, in partnership with several global partners and submarine cable supplier SubCom, is currently deploying two cables to support growth in data demand across the region.

The India-Asia-Xpress (IAX) system connects India eastbound to Singapore and beyond, while the India-Europe-Xpress (IEX) system connects India westbound to the Middle East and Europe.

Interconnect the world’s top interexchange points

The systems will interconnect the world’s top interexchange points and content hubs for extension of service. IAX and IEX will enhance the ability for consumer and enterprise users to access content and cloud services in and out of India, the company said.

“These high capacity and high-speed systems will provide more than 200Tbps of capacity spanning 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,” said Reliance Jio in a statement.

Mathew Oommen, Reliance Jio President said, “To meet the demands of Streaming Video, Remote Workforce, 5G, IoT, and beyond, Jio is taking a leadership role in the construction of the first of its kind, India-centric IAX and IEX subsea systems. Implementing these critical initiatives in the shadow of a global pandemic is a challenge, but the ongoing pandemic has only accelerated the digital transformation and the necessity of high-performance global connectivity for the delivery of a richer experience to enterprises and consumers.”

“Implementing these critical initiatives in the shadow of a global pandemic is a challenge, but the ongoing pandemic has only accelerated the digital transformation and the necessity of high-performance global connectivity for the delivery of a richer experience to enterprises and consumers,” the president added.

Benefits of international submarine cable system

For the first time in the history of fiber optic submarine telecommunications, these systems place India at the center of the international network map, recognizing India’s increased importance, staggering growth, and the quantum shift in data use since the launch of Jio services in 2016, said the company in a statement.

Apart from the seamless connection of the IAX and IEX sub-sea systems, the two systems are also connected to the Reliance Jio Global Fiber Network beyond Asia Pacific and Europe, connecting to both the east and west coast of the USA. IAX is expected to be ready for service by mid-2023, while IEX will be ready for service in early 2024.