Dhiraagu introduces global super-highway SEA-ME-WE 6 submarine cable in Maldives

Dhivehi Raajjeyge Gulhun (Dhiraagu) has introduced the latest global super-highway SEA-ME-WE 6 (SMW6) submarine cable landing to the Maldives, marking the first time in the country's telecommunication history that a local digital service provider is joining as a co-owner of a global submarine cable system consortium.

The SMW6 submarine cable system is a global super-highway, connecting Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Western Europe at eleven countries from Singapore to France with the latest undersea cable technology. This 19,200 km long submarine cable system has a minimum transmission speed of 100Tbps, Dhiraagu said.

The official landing ceremony of SMW6 took place last evening at Hulhumale’ Phase 2, with Minister of Cities, Local Government and Public Works, Adam Shareef Umar as the chief guest.

Speaking at the event, Minister Shareef said that “the SMW6 submarine cable inaugurated 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.”

He also praised that Dhiraagu has always been at the forefront of driving the digital growth and transformation of the Maldives, connecting people both locally and globally.

The company's CEO Ismail Rasheed also made a few remarks at the ceremony.

“As the Maldivian connection, we are dedicated to enriching the lives of people living in the Maldives through digital services, on par with the digital transformation taking place globally. 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,” he said.

Dhiraagu first entered into a consortium with 16 global telco and techno companies to be a co-owner of this international system in 2021.

"This significant investment by Dhiraagu will provide the Maldives with direct access to key global internet exchange points and data centres, strengthening the country’s international connectivity. It will also improve the quality and resilience of services provided by the company to consumers and businesses, fueling the future growth of digital services across the country," Dhiraagu said in a press released issued after the launch event.

It is expected that the SMW6 submarine cable system will be completed in early 2026.