Updated
Updated · SlashGear · Jul 18
Maldives Broadband Speeds Jump to 675 Mbps After IFC-Backed Submarine Cable Link
Updated
Updated · SlashGear · Jul 18

Maldives Broadband Speeds Jump to 675 Mbps After IFC-Backed Submarine Cable Link

3 articles · Updated · SlashGear · Jul 18

Summary

  • 675.02 Mbps average fixed broadband speed put Maldives at the top of Speedtest’s May 2026 rankings, up from 36.72 Mbps at the start of the year.
  • An IFC-financed project drove the surge by connecting the country to the international submarine cable system for the first time; that link went live in early 2026.
  • The upgrade followed Maldives’ 2025 push to connect every inhabited island to high-speed broadband, extending a domestic network across about 1,200 islands over more than 500 miles.
  • Officials see faster internet as a way to diversify an economy still centered on tourism and transport, including by enabling remote work and other digital activity.

Insights

As nations achieve record speeds, is a new digital divide of connectivity versus censorship emerging globally?
Can ultra-fast internet truly diversify island economies, or does it create new forms of digital colonialism?
How vulnerable is our global internet to undersea cable threats and escalating government shutdowns?