I-2SEA Submarine Cable System Unveiled

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A technology consortium including **Microsoft**, **Singtel**, **Tata Communications**, and **Lightstorm** has signed contracts to build the **I-2SEA** submarine cable system.
The project aims to meet the rapidly growing demand for **AI**, cloud computing, and hyperscale connectivity between **India** and **Southeast Asia**.

The **India-Southeast Asia (I-2SEA)** cable system is a next-generation optoelectronic fiber-optic network laid across the ocean floor.
Undersea fiber-optic cables carry the majority of global internet and telecommunications traffic between continents.
Unlike older subsea cables designed for general web browsing, this system is specifically built to handle heavy data loads for **AI** model training, **GPU** clusters, and hyperscale workloads.
The subsea route of this high-capacity cable will cover a distance of approximately **3,600 km**.

In Southeast Asia, the system connects **Singapore**, a major cloud interconnect hub, with **Kuala Lumpur**, the heart of **Malaysia's** data center corridor.
In India, the cable features two strategically separate landing sites on the east coast at **Machilipatnam** and **South Chennai**.
The **Machilipatnam** site provides the shortest subsea connection to large **AI** data clusters located in **Hyderabad**.
The **South Chennai** site offers a new landing location that helps bypass heavily congested existing subsea shipping routes.
Onshore links will connect the system from **Machilipatnam** to **Mumbai** and over **80 data centres** across India.

The main objective is to provide high-capacity, low-latency digital connectivity for organizations running complex **AI** models.
It specifically serves **hyperscalers**, **GPU** infrastructure providers, and enterprises conducting real-time **AI** training.
The cable will create the fastest data transmission link along the **Singapore-Malaysia-Hyderabad** city corridor.

High-speed data generated by cloud nodes or **AI** models moves across the ocean through the **3,600 km** subsea cable.
The signals reach Indian shores at carrier-neutral landing stations managed by **Lightstorm**.
Onshore equipment plugs the subsea signal directly into **Lightstorm's** **30,000 km** land-based fiber network.
Companies can track data paths in real time and expand network capacity instantly using the **SmartNet AI Fabric** and **Polarin** platform.

The architecture features carrier-neutral landing infrastructure and an open, interoperable design.
To protect against damage from shipping traffic in the **Malacca Strait** and **Bay of Bengal**, the cable will be buried **three meters deep** in shallow waters.
The project is structured under a Joint Build Agreement between global technology companies and regional network operators.
Japanese firm **NEC Corporation** serves as the main system supplier providing subsea hardware.
Marine deployment, sea trenching, and route clearance will be carried out by **ASEAN Cableship Pte Ltd (ACPL)**.

The subsea cable system is scheduled to become operational by **Q4 2029**.
It will strengthen digital links and infrastructure cooperation between **India** and **Southeast Asia**.
The project will boost the growth of **AI** infrastructure, cloud services, and the broader digital economy across both regions.