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Subsea Cable Hub — Andhra Pradesh

02 Sep 2026

Tags: Economy   Infrastructure   Telecom Sector

Source: The Hindu

Context: Andhra Pradesh, particularly Visakhapatnam (Vizag), is emerging as India’s third major international subsea digital gateway after Mumbai and Chennai, driven by new data centres and submarine cables.

Key Prelims Facts

  • I-2SEA (India–Southeast Asia) Submarine Cable System
    • 3,600 km cable connecting Singapore & Malaysia → East Coast of India.
    • Consortium includes Microsoft, Lightstorm and Singtel.
    • Will also connect to Chennai.
    • Expected service: Q4 2029.
  • America-India Connect: Google’s global subsea cable system; planned landing at Visakhapatnam.
  • Strategic significance: New eastern gateway provides connectivity diversification and resilience against disruption of existing routes, especially amid geopolitical risks.
  • Terrestrial connectivity: New inland fibre corridors are planned to link coastal landing points with Hyderabad, Mumbai and Chennai.
  • Google’s Visakhapatnam data centre: Focus initially on AI inference rather than energy-intensive AI training; emphasis on renewable power and air cooling to reduce water use.
  • Submarine cable landing stations are critical points where undersea fibre-optic cables connect to terrestrial networks and form gateways for international internet traffic.
  • India’s major existing international subsea cable landing hubs include Mumbai and Chennai; Visakhapatnam is emerging as a major eastern alternative.

Prelims Question

Q1. With reference to India’s emerging subsea digital infrastructure, consider the following statements:

  1. A submarine cable landing station connects an undersea fibre-optic cable to terrestrial communication networks.
  2. Diversifying submarine cable landing points can improve the resilience of a country’s international digital connectivity.
  3. The establishment of a submarine cable landing station at a coastal location by itself eliminates the need for inland fibre connectivity.
  4. Visakhapatnam is emerging as an eastern alternative to India’s established subsea connectivity hubs such as Mumbai and Chennai.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1, 2 and 4 only
(c) 2, 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Answer: (b)

Explanation: Landing stations must be integrated with terrestrial fibre networks to distribute international traffic inland. Hence, a coastal landing point alone cannot ensure effective connectivity.

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