Du joins Singapore-India-Gulf submarine cable system
Dubai-based telecom operator du has joined the Singapore– India–Gulf submarine cable system, announcing a partnership with Cyprus-based Datawave Networks to land the next-generation cable in the United Arab Emirates. The move is aimed at strengthening digital connectivity between India and the Gulf region.
The subsea fibre optic network will link six key locations, with landing points in Kalba in the UAE, Muscat in Oman, Mumbai and Chennai in India, Kedah in Malaysia, and Singapore. The project is designed to enhance route diversity for global data traffic while reducing reliance on the Red Sea corridor.The cable system will feature 16 fibre pairs, each capable of delivering at least 18 terabits per second, supporting the growing demand from artificial intelligence, cloud services and hyperscale data centres across Asia and the Gulf. du officials say the project reinforces the UAE’s position as a global hub for data and digital infrastructure.
The project gains strategic importance following multiple submarine cable disruptions in the Red Sea over the past year. In September 2025, several major cables were severed near Jeddah, causing widespread internet outages across Asia, the West Asia, and India. Earlier incidents in March 2025 and February 2024 also affected critical systems impacting services for Indian internet users and businesses. The SING cable system’s route bypassing the Red Sea corridor addresses these vulnerabilities, offering Indian enterprises and cloud providers a more resilient alternative for connectivity to Southeast Asian and Gulf markets, reducing exposure to geopolitical risks and physical damage in the traditional route.
