Equinix and Southern Cross to link Australia and NZ with US

Equinix has expanded its partnership with Southern Cross Cables to provide a new US interconnectivity access point for the Southern Cross NEXT (SX NEXT) subsea cable system.

Launched in 2022, SX NEXT spans the Pacific Ocean to connect the internet in Australian and New Zealand to Los Angeles.

Southern Cross claims that SX NEXT boosts the aggregate capacity of Southern Cross’ trans-Pacific networks by approximately 500 per cent.

The expanded agreement will see SX NEXT connect to Equinix’s LA4 International Business Exchange data centre in Los Angeles.

The new access point aims to enhance trans-Pacific connectivity to meet growing demand for low-latency data transmission.

Southern Cross also utilises Platform Equinix to provide on-ramps to SX NEXT at SY1 and SY5 in Sydney, as well as SV1, Silicon Valley and SV8, Palo Alto, and LA1 in Los Angeles.

The company released 400GbE (Layer 1 and 2) capability on SX NEXT earlier this year.

“We place high value on working with an industry leader that not only has a significant global presence but understands the intricacies of business in the Pacific region," Southern Cross' director of marketing and strategy Craige Sloots said.

"Equinix’s deep industry knowledge and robust digital ecosystems – where businesses come together to exchange data, unlock collaboration opportunities, and form new markets – enables us to provide innovative technology and network solutions to minimise latency and improve performance for our customers."

"Trans-Pacific subsea connectivity will continue to be a key enabler in the region for many years to come, and we’re excited about this next phase of interconnection through our work with Equinix.”

Equinix said that trans-Pacific demand has grown at a CAGR of 41 per cent over the past five years, driven by increased demand for cloud services, content and digital media, and e-commerce capabilities.

A study published by Equinix revealed that global interconnection bandwidth – the measure of private connectivity for the transfer of data between organisations – is forecast to reach over 27,762 terabits per second (Tbps) by 2025, representing a five-year CAGR of 40 per cent.

“As bandwidth reaches unprecedented levels, the volume of subsea cable construction has reached its highest point in the 165-year history of this medium," Equinix's VP of business development Jim Poole said.

"Major projects are bringing new capacity into emerging and high-growth markets such as Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. And in well-established subsea cable corridors – including the Pacific – there’s new construction to keep up with the growing demand."

"By supplementing existing trans-Pacific routes, the Southern Cross NEXT cable provides seamless and accelerated interconnection across Platform Equinix, in turn, boosting the digital economy in those regions.”