A consortium comprising Microsoft, Singtel, Tata Communications, and Lightstorm has announced the construction of the 3,600 km long I-2SEA submarine cable system connecting India, Malaysia, and Singapore.
- It is expected to become operational in 2029.
About I-2SEA Submarine Cable System (SCS)
- It is designed to support the growing demand for AI training and inference, hyperscale cloud services, GPU infrastructure, and enterprise connectivity.
- It will connect Machilipatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and South Chennai (Tamil Nadu) in India, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Singapore.
About Submarine Cable System
- They are fibre optic cables laid on the ocean floor that connect countries across the world to provide internet and telecommunications.
- Optical fibres are used to transmit information as light pulses.
- It works based on a principle called 'total internal reflection'-where the light in a fibre-optic cable travels through the core (hallway) by constantly bouncing from the cladding (mirror-lined walls).
- These "invisible highways" transmit between 95% and 99% of all international data traffic.
- United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 2010 had described the Submarine cable as critical communication infrastructure.
- Major Challenges to SCS: Risks from accidental or deliberate damage (e.g., anchoring) Environmental factors like earthquakes, Ageing infrastructure, etc.
