Dhiraagu has inaugurated the SEA-ME-WE 6 (SMW6) submarine cable system landing in the Maldives, marking a historic milestone as the first Maldivian digital service provider to join a global submarine cable system consortium as a co-owner. This new global super-highway connects Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Western Europe, spanning 19,200 km from Singapore to France, with a minimum transmission speed of 100Tbps.
In 2021, Dhiraagu entered into a consortium with 16 international telecom and tech companies, securing a position as a co-owner of this advanced undersea cable system. This significant investment will enhance the Maldives’ international connectivity, offering direct access to key global internet exchange points and data centres. Consequently, the quality and resilience of services provided by Dhiraagu to consumers and businesses will improve, fuelling future growth of digital services across the country.
The official landing ceremony of SMW6 took place at Hulhumale’ Phase II, with the Minister of Cities, Local Government, and Public Works, Adam Shareef Umar, serving as the Chief Guest. Other government officials were also present at the event.
“Dhiraagu has always been at the forefront of driving the digital growth and transformation of the Maldives, connecting us locally and globally. The SMW6 submarine cable inaugurated today will ensure that the Maldives has direct access to multiple internet exchange points without having to be dependent on any single country to connect to the global network. I would like to thank Dhiraagu for the company’s role in building the nation and strengthening our telecommunications network by connecting us to the global internet super-highway and enabling the socioeconomic development of the country,” stated Minister Adam Shareef Umar.
Ismail Rasheed, Dhiraagu’s CEO and Managing Director, expressed his dedication to enriching the lives of Maldivians through digital services. “Connecting our digital network to the SMW6 submarine cable system is an important step towards establishing the Maldives as a global digital hub and increasing the resiliency of the country’s digital backbone. This access by the Maldives to key digital hubs across the world will help us to provide higher speeds of digital connectivity, reduce latency, and decrease the cost of our internet services in the future.”
The SMW6 submarine cable system is expected to be completed by early 2026. Dhiraagu continues to lead the digital transformation journey of the Maldives, empowering digital communities and enabling them to ‘take on tomorrow.’
