SUBCO selects Equinix for subsea cable system landing

Equinix has been selected by SUBCO for the landing of its new SMAP subsea cable system directly into its International Business Exchange (IBX) data centres in Perth and Sydney as well as SMAP’s Points of Presence (PoP) in Adelaide and Melbourne.  

SMAP is a 5,000km transcontinental submarine cable connecting Sydney, Melbourne (Torquay), Adelaide and Perth (S-M-A-P).

This partnership will aim to provide enhanced high-speed network connections between the capital cities, along with onward routes to Asia and Europe via inter-regional subsea cables such as Indigo West and the Oman Australia Cable (OAC), both hosted at the Equinix campus in Perth.  

By providing redundant routes, SMAP will intend to be able to mitigate congestion and network outages.  

Additionally, Equinix’s vendor-neutral, multi-tenant design allows SMAP customers to access enterprises, cloud on-ramps, and service providers within the same IBX, leveraging interconnection opportunities in order to enhance network performance and reduce connectivity costs.  

Expected to be operational in Q1 2026, SMAP forms the first stage of HyperOne, Australia’s first national fibre backhaul network. 

"Partnering with Equinix to connect SMAP in its ecosystem-dense data centres enables us to more seamlessly interconnect the many network providers within Equinix facilities as well as our other subsea cable assets in Perth and Sydney,” SUBCO founder Bevan Slattery said. 

“This is especially important due to Perth’s strategic position as Australia’s new secure gateway to Asia and Europe. The SMAP cable sets a new benchmark for high-capacity, low-latency connectivity, empowering businesses in our increasingly interconnected world."  

 “The SMAP cable will further enhance Australia’s digital infrastructure, helping businesses scale and thrive in our growing digital economy,” Equinix Australia MD Guy Danskine said. 

“This direct link between Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth provides a critical alternate and redundant path, enhancing resilience to Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Europe, and further establishing Australia as a global connectivity hub.” 

In 2025, as at the end of August, Equinix Internet Exchange traffic nationwide has grown by 51% compared to the same period in 2024. Equinix said this surge is driven by the increasing adoption of cloud services and AI, along with the government’s initiatives to promote digitisation, 5G adoption and smart city development.