Dhiraagu to connect Maldives to SMW6 submarine cable system

Dhiraagu has entered into a contract with a consortium of 13 global telecom and tech companies to connect Maldives to the global super high-way SEA-ME-WE 6 (SMW6) submarine cable system – which will connect South East Asia, Middle East, and Western Europe at eleven countries from Singapore to France.

SMW6 is a 19,200-kilometer-long submarine cable system with a minimum transmission speed of 100Tbps, using the latest undersea cable technology. It will provide direct access to key Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) and Data Centers (DCs) from South East Asia to Europe.

The cable system is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2025.

Dhiraagu’s CEO and Managing Director Ismail Rasheed announced the company’s partnership with the SMW6 consortium in a press conference on Monday morning.

“We are delighted to be a partner of SMW6 consortium and achieve this important milestone in the development of our telecommunication services in the Maldives. This is a significant investment that will bring immense benefits to the nation, our customers and shareholders. The SMW6 cable system will provide us direct connectivity to multiple key locations across the world, which will help reduce latency, improve quality and reduce costs of Dhiraagu’s internet services,” he said.

Dhiraagu states that it expects the new investment will significantly strengthen Maldives' international connectivity, improve quality and resilience of its services to consumers, businesses and fuel future growth of digital services across the country.

The company said that with the growing demand for digital services, the addition to its existing submarine cable systems was an important step towards making the Maldives a global digital hub and strengthening the digital infrastructure of the country.

“It gives increased confidence to customers and investors looking to host their services in the Maldives. Additionally, it will enable us to further explore the potentials of emerging technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence and virtual reality,” said Dhiraagu.

Dhiraagu said it was committed to enriching lives by investing in modern technologies to enhance their customers’ digital experience and empower communities to ‘take on tomorrow’.