Microsoft, Tata Among Firms Planning India-Southeast Asia I-2SEA Submarine Cable To Boost AI
GS3Economy · S&T · Environment · Security· Infrastructure (energy, ports, roads, railways)· Prelims·
Why in news
Microsoft and Tata are part of a consortium building the I-2SEA submarine cable to enhance AI and cloud infrastructure connectivity between India and Southeast Asia.
Background
The I-2SEA cable is a 3,600 km undersea connection linking India, Malaysia, and Singapore. It is designed to support hyperscale workloads and AI, with an expected operational date of Q4 2029.
Facts for Prelims
- FactI-2SEA cable length: 3,600 km
- FactProjected operational date: Q4 2029
- FactPlanned expansion: Increase AI and cloud zones in India from 19 to 29
- S&TLightstorm currently connects 19 AI and cloud zones via terrestrial fiber networks
For Mains
Q. Discuss how expanding submarine cable infrastructure is essential for India's ambitions to become a global hub for Artificial Intelligence and cloud computing.
Dimensions to cover in your answer
- Data sovereignty: Balancing cross-border data flows with domestic privacy regulations
- Infrastructure gap: Addressing the latency issues in high-compute AI workloads through undersea connectivity
- Geopolitical leverage: Strengthening digital diplomacy and economic ties with Southeast Asian partners
Keywords: Hyperscale workloads · Submarine cable · Digital infrastructure · Data sovereignty · Cloud computing
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