Andaman: Next Global Internet Data Hub?

New Delhi, Oct 14 (PTI) Union IT and Electronics Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday pitched for making Andaman the next big hub for global internet data transfer due to its geographic location.

Speaking at the Bharat AI Shakti event, the minister also appealed to extend the submarine cable to Myanmar, from where it can be extended to the Indian northeastern states.

"Why can't we make Andaman the next big hub for global Internet data transfer? Andaman can actually help Google and every other Internet-based organisation to reach Southeast Asia, to Australia, to a large part of the world, which is today looking at totally new capacity," the minister said.

Tech giant Google at the event announced its biggest ever investment of USD 15 billion in building an AI hub in Andhra Pradesh, which would include a gigawatt-scale data centre in partnership with Adani Group.

Google has partnered with Bharti Airtel to establish the purpose-built, gigawatt-scale data centre in Visakhapatnam and ensure that the facility is optimised to handle the demanding AI workloads in India.

As part of the project, Airtel will establish a state-of-the-art Cable Landing Station (CLS) in Visakhapatnam to host Google's new international subsea cables. The telecom service provider will create and manage a robust, high-capacity, low-latency intra-city as well as inter-city fibre network as part of the project to increase the resilience and capacity.

Vaishnaw asked companies to make a link from Vizag to Sittwe in Myanmar to take the cable up to the northeastern states.

"The current connectivity that we are providing via the railway networks, the Railtel network, requires significant augmentation. If we can really go via Myanmar to Mizoram...so that we can take the cable up to the northeastern states because northeastern states require much better connectivity," Vaishnaw said.

He said a railway line has already been laid up to Sairang in Mizoram, and the Prime Minister has directed to extend the line to the Myanmar border. A highway is already being constructed from Sittwe.