Maldives Sri Lanka Cable (MSC)

Overview

The Maldives Sri Lanka Cable (MSC) is a bilateral submarine cable system connecting the Maldives and Sri Lanka across a route spanning 863 kilometres. It provides a direct link between these two Indian Ocean nations, serving the corridor between them as a dedicated two-country connection rather than a longer transoceanic system.

Route and Landings

In the Maldives, the cable lands at Hulhumale, the reclaimed island that serves as a gateway to the greater Malé region. In Sri Lanka, the cable lands at Mt. Lavinia, a coastal locality immediately south of Colombo.

Ownership and Operators

The MSC is jointly owned by three telecommunications operators: Dhiraagu, Dialog Axiata, and Ooredoo Maldives. Dhiraagu and Ooredoo Maldives are among the principal mobile and fixed-line operators serving the Maldives, while Dialog Axiata is one of Sri Lanka's leading telecommunications providers. The involvement of all three operators reflects a shared interest in improving direct connectivity between the two countries.

Status and Timeline

The MSC entered service in 2021, establishing an operational direct submarine link between Hulhumale and Mt. Lavinia.

Regional Context

The Maldives–Sri Lanka corridor is served by several other submarine cable systems of varying scale. FALCON has connected both countries since 2006, while SeaMeWe-6 is planned for service in 2026 and the India Asia Xpress (IAX) system entered service in 2024. Both of those systems extend far beyond the two-country bilateral scope of the MSC, with IAX spanning approximately 5,791 kilometres and SeaMeWe-6 stretching around 21,700 kilometres. The PEACE Cable reached the Maldives in 2022 as part of its longer route. Within the Maldives itself, domestic systems such as the Dhiraagu Cable Network and NaSCOM (Nationwide Submarine Cable Ooredoo Maldives) address intra-archipelago connectivity separately.

At 863 kilometres, the MSC is notably shorter than all of these regional peers, reflecting its focused point-to-point design. Recent performance measurements recorded an average round-trip latency of 115.1 milliseconds over the cable, with a best recorded figure of 88.4 milliseconds.

Strategic Role

By providing a direct submarine connection between Hulhumale and Mt. Lavinia, the MSC offers a dedicated bilateral pathway for internet and telecommunications traffic between the Maldives and Sri Lanka. Its ownership structure, spanning the two dominant Maldivian operators and a principal Sri Lankan carrier, positions it as a jointly managed asset serving both national markets through a single, geographically direct cable system.