Nationwide Submarine Cable Ooredoo Maldives (NaSCOM)

Overview

The Nationwide Submarine Cable Ooredoo Maldives, or NaSCOM, is a domestic submarine cable system exclusively serving the Maldives. With a total length of 1,136 km, it connects multiple islands and atolls within the country's extensive archipelago, which spans approximately 870 km from north to south in the Indian Ocean. Owned and operated by Ooredoo Maldives, a subsidiary of the Qatar-based Ooredoo Group, NaSCOM was designed to address the unique connectivity challenges posed by the Maldives' dispersed geography. The cable has been operational since 2016, providing critical telecommunications infrastructure to support the nation's growing demand for digital services.

NaSCOM plays a vital role in ensuring reliable and high-speed communication for both residents and businesses across the Maldives. Its deployment underscores the importance of submarine cable systems in bridging the connectivity gap for island nations, where terrestrial infrastructure is impractical or impossible due to geographic constraints. By linking key islands, NaSCOM enhances access to modern telecommunications, fostering economic development and social integration across the archipelago.

Route and Landings

NaSCOM features six landing points strategically located across the Maldives: Eydhafushi, Hithadhoo, Hulhumale, Kolhufushi, Kulhudhufushi, and Thinadhoo. These sites are spread along the full length of the archipelago, from the northernmost atolls to the southernmost regions, ensuring comprehensive coverage. The cable's route traverses the Indian Ocean, connecting islands separated by vast stretches of open water and spanning diverse atoll ecosystems.

Each landing point serves as a hub for local connectivity, linking island communities to the national network. For example, Hulhumale, located near the capital Malé, acts as a central node for administrative and economic activities. Hithadhoo, in the southern Addu Atoll, connects one of the Maldives' most populous regions, while Kulhudhufushi and Thinadhoo provide critical links to northern and central atolls. By connecting these geographically dispersed locations, NaSCOM ensures that even remote islands benefit from reliable telecommunications services.

The cable's route reflects the Maldives' unique geography, where over 1,000 islands are scattered across a vast expanse of ocean. This distribution makes submarine cables essential for national connectivity, as they provide a robust alternative to satellite-based systems, which often face limitations in bandwidth and latency.

Ownership and History

NaSCOM is fully owned and operated by Ooredoo Maldives, a leading telecommunications provider in the country. The cable was commissioned to expand Ooredoo's domestic network infrastructure and to address the connectivity needs of the Maldives' dispersed population. Its construction highlights the strategic decision to invest in submarine cable technology as a long-term solution for national connectivity challenges.

The system became operational in 2016, marking a significant milestone in the development of the Maldives' telecommunications sector. As a single-owner domestic cable, NaSCOM complements Ooredoo's broader service offerings, which include mobile, internet, and enterprise solutions. The cable's deployment has enabled Ooredoo Maldives to enhance service quality, reduce latency, and support the growing demand for digital services across the archipelago.

NaSCOM represents a critical component of the Maldives' digital infrastructure, ensuring that even the most remote islands have access to modern telecommunications. Its role is particularly important in a nation where traditional terrestrial networks are not feasible due to the geographic separation of its islands.

What Our Measurements Show

Our monitoring of NaSCOM indicates that the cable has consistently delivered reliable performance since its launch in 2016. The system's design and deployment have proven effective in addressing the unique challenges of the Maldivian environment, including the need for durability in a region prone to tropical storms and high humidity. The cable's redundancy and robust construction ensure minimal disruptions, even in adverse conditions.

Probes show that NaSCOM provides stable and high-capacity connectivity across its six landing points, supporting a wide range of telecommunications services, including internet, voice, and data transmission. The cable's performance has been instrumental in reducing latency for users across the Maldives, particularly in remote islands that previously relied on satellite connectivity.

Additionally, NaSCOM's role in supporting disaster recovery and emergency communication has been noted. By linking key islands, the cable ensures that critical communication channels remain operational during natural disasters or other emergencies. This reliability underscores the importance of submarine cables in enhancing the resilience of telecommunications networks in island nations like the Maldives.