FLAG Adds MIST and I-2SEA Capacity for Mumbai

John Tanner, Developing Telecoms
September 30, 2026

FLAG has announced investments in the MIST and I-2SEA submarine cable systems to broaden its routing options into and out of Mumbai. The private subsea operator is combining capacity agreements with investment in terrestrial infrastructure in India. The additions form part of its Vision 2030 strategy, which targets expanded fibre infrastructure, increased capacity and more resilient international connectivity for enterprise, cloud and AI-driven data traffic.

Under an agreement with Orient Lines (OLL), the owner of MIST, FLAG will add capacity between Mumbai and Singapore. MIST, whose name stands for Myanmar/Malaysia India Singapore Transit, has been operating since 2024. FLAG plans to make the newly acquired capacity commercially available in October, providing a near-term service milestone alongside its investment in the longer-term I-2SEA project. The agreement concerns capacity on the existing system.

The separate arrangement with Lightstorm, one of the investors in I-2SEA, covers the lease of a fibre pair connecting Machilipatnam, Chennai and Singapore. I-2SEA stands for India-Southeast Asia and is scheduled to be ready for service in 2029. As part of this deal, FLAG is also investing in terrestrial segments between Mumbai and Chennai, extending the Indian infrastructure supporting its international connectivity plans beyond the submarine portions of the network.

FLAG framed the new deals as part of its longer-term Indo-Pacific expansion. Chief executive Paul Abfalter said the operator wants to broaden its long-haul reach and become a preferred provider for customers needing international connectivity. Combined with earlier India-Singapore and trans-Pacific capacity investments, the latest agreements are expected to give FLAG four diverse paths into Mumbai in total.

For customers seeking international connections to India, the announcement centres on a wider choice of paths rather than capacity growth alone. FLAG identifies resilient connectivity as a priority in serving growing enterprise, cloud and AI-related traffic across its key markets. The two system investments have different delivery horizons: the MIST capacity has an October commercial availability target, while the I-2SEA system's stated ready-for-service milestone remains 2029.

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