Superloop selected to fibre up Sydney's new city Bradfield

Superloop has been selected by the Bradfield Development Authority as the exclusive statutory infrastructure provider for Bradfield City Centre, Australia's first major city built in a century.

Located in the Western Sydney Aerotropolis, adjacent to the new Western Sydney International Airport, Bradfield is a 114-hectare development backed by more than $26 billion in government infrastructure investment.

An aerotropolis is an urban development model where infrastructure, land use, and economy are centred around an airport.

Superloop will construct the fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) network, providing communications infrastructure for up to 10,000 new homes.

The company will also own and manage the extensive pit and pipe network whilst overseeing multi-function poles, called Smart Poles, in partnership with Sydney's OneWifi.

Smart Poles will be used for public Wi-Fi, closed-circuit television, mobile coverage and additional services throughout Bradfield.

The network infrastructure will expand to serve business, retail and manufacturing customers as the city grows.

Third-party carriers and their customers could also access the Superloop network, which includes the recently acquired Uecomm subsidiary, and the broader portfolio of Superloop services.

"It's fitting that one of Australia's fastest growing internet providers has been tapped to enable one of Australia's fastest growing regions," Paul Tyler, Superloop chief executive, said.

Tyler emphasised that designing equitable, high-speed and reliable network solutions with scaling capacity represents core company capabilities rooted in wholesale operations.

"Partnering with the Bradfield Development Authority now means Superloop can build a future-ready network for the community that serves as a springboard for innovation and growth," Tyler said.

Jason Ashton joined Superloop in March as group executive for corporate development and smart communities and will lead the project team deploying the infrastructure and highlighted the transformative power of internet connectivity.

"We know that the internet is the greatest enabler and amplifier of opportunity, leveler and disrupter of disparity," Ashton said.

"Connectivity is more than streaming or gaming. It's about freedom and choice."

Paul Scully, the New South Wales Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, announced that the agreement ensures future businesses and residents will benefit from a fully digitally enabled precinct from the outset.

"Bradfield will be Australia's first new city in 100 years," Scully said.

"With abundant digital capacity for high-tech industries today and in the future, we're laying the foundations for 20,000 high value jobs and 10,000 new homes in the new city."

The minister pointed to the long-term importance of establishing robust digital capabilities for the new development.

"It's imperative we get the digital capability of Bradfield right for generations to come," Scully said.

Superloop declined to share financial details of the Bradfield contract.