The submarine cable project with India’s Reliance Jio will be completed next July, finance minister Ibrahim Ameer has said.
The submarine cable project was undertaken by the government company Ocean Connect Maldives (OCM). The submarine cable network will connect Hulhumale' to the 'India-Asia-Xpress' under development in Asia.
Ameer said in response to a question during Adhadhu's 'Etherefuh' program that internet prices would become even lower when the cable service is complete and available to the public before too long.
"Internet prices would come down substantially when it is connected to a main landing station. Now, as I remember, 1GB costs USD 80. This will come down to USD 20," Ameer said.
Internet prices are very high in the Maldives compared to the rest of the region and the service is currently provided without connection to a main landing station, Ameer said. Together with lower prices when a main landing station is connected through a submarine cable, bandwidth capacity will also increase substantially, he said.
In addition, Ocean Connect has plans to set up data centers in partnership with foreign parties and to offer services in the Maldives, he said.
"With that, a whole new door, a new sector will be opened up," Ameer said.
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said in this year's presidential address that the submarine cable to be laid between Marseille, France and Singapore will be connected to the Maldives and be available for use before next September.
The project will revolutionalize internet speed and prices, he said.
Work on the submarine cable that connects Western Europe, the Middle East and Asian countries began in February 2022. Aside from the Maldives, the countries to be connected via the approximately 19,200 kilometer cable include Malaysia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
