Since its inception in 2016 Jio has changed the digital landscape of India. Data consumption in the country has exploded. To support this data consumption Jio has decided to construct two new subsea cable systems.
The India-Asia-Xpress (IAX) system will connect India eastbound to Singapore and beyond, while the India-Europe-Xpress (IEX) system connects India westbound to the Middle East and Europe.
The IAX system will have express connectivity from Mumbai and Chennai to Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. The IEX system will extend India’s connectivity to Italy, landing in Savona, with additional landings in the Middle East and North Africa.
“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 Jio.
“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.
Jio is partnering with several key global partners and submarine cable supplier SubCom to construct the system. IAX is expected to be ready for service in mid-2023, while IEX will be ready for service in early 2024.