Google has announced plans for a major new trans-Indian Ocean subsea cable system called Dhivaru, which will connect Oman, the Maldives, and Australia’s Christmas Island. Named after the sail-control line used in traditional Maldivian vessels, the new system expands Google’s Australia Connect initiative to strengthen digital connectivity across the Indian Ocean.
The project includes two new regional connectivity hubs in Addu City in the Maldives and Christmas Island. Google says these locations are naturally positioned to enhance digital links across Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and Oceania. The hubs will introduce capabilities such as cable switching, content caching, and colocation to boost performance and resilience for regional networks.
These new sites—smaller and less energy-intensive than typical Google data centres—will incorporate local renewable energy where feasible. While Google has not disclosed cable capacity or deployment timelines, the investment positions the Maldives and Christmas Island as future digital gateways.
The Maldives already hosts multiple subsea systems, including Peace, Falcon, Sea-Me-We-6, and India Asia Xpress, while Oman remains a major global landing point with 21 active and upcoming cable systems across Muscat and Salalah.
