Reliance Jio undersea cable system to be ready starting mid-2023

Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd is deploying two undersea cable systems with global partners and supplier SubCom to support the data demand in India, the company said in a statement.

India-Asia-Xpress (IAX) System, which will connect India with Singapore, will be ready for service by mid-2023, and India-Europe-Xpress (IEX) system, which will connect India to the Middle East and Europe, is expected to be ready in early 2024.

“The systems will seamlessly interconnect as well as connect to the world’s top interexchange points and content hubs for extension of service globally. IAX and IEX will enhance the ability for consumer and enterprise users to access content and cloud services in and out of India,” the telco said on Monday.

The high-speed systems will provide over 200 TBPS (terabyte per second) of capacity spanning across 16,000 kilometers. The projects, equipped with open-system technology and the latest wavelength switched branching units, will ensure rapid upgradation and flexibility to add/drop waves across multiple locations, the Mukesh AmbAni-led company said.

The IAX system will connect Mumbai and Chennai in India to Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, while the IEX project extends the country’s connectivity to Italy, landing in Savona, and additional landings in the Middle East and North Africa.

The two systems will also be connected to the Reliance Jio Global Fiber Network beyond Asia Pacific and Europe, linking the east and west coast of the US, the company said.

“To meet the demand of streaming video, remote workforce, 5G (fifth generation), IoT (internet of things), and beyond, Jio is taking a leadership role in the construction of the first of its kind, India-centric IAX and IEX subsea systems,” said Mathew Oommen, president, Reliance Jio.