Vocus connects Darwin's first international cable

Network solutions provider Vocus has added a 1000 km spur completing its $100 million submarine fibre cable, aiming to position Darwin as a key digital hub for the Asia Pacific region.

With the lay having started in March this year, the new 1,000 km cable is the first international fibre-optic cable connection into Darwin.

It links Vocus’ Australia Singapore Cable (ASC) which runs from Perth to Singapore with the North-West Cable System that runs from Darwin to Port Hedland.

Combined, these cable form the new Darwin-Jakarta-Singapore Cable (DJSC) system, that spans 7,700 kilometres, providing low-latency connectivity to Asia for Australia’s North, particularly for resources operators in the Pilbara, offering 40 terabits per second capacity.

Vocus said the crew aboard the Île de Ré cable ship lifted the Australia Singapore Cable from a depth of 5 km in the ocean up to the surface.

The crew then spliced on the new fibre-optic segment for the Darwin leg on deck, to a spur that was added to the ASC in anticipation of the connection to the NT city, after which the connected cables were then lowered back to the ocean floor.

Built with a $7.9 million financial contribution from the Northern Territory Government, the cable is part of its overall Terabit Territory strategy to become a data centre hotspot.

“The establishment of subsea fibre-optic cable connections and a data centre in Darwin are the first steps towards capitalising on the significant growth expected in the global data centre market,” Northern Territory Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said.

Now undergoing final testing, the new circuit is scheduled to be ready for service mid-year.

The DJSC is a key part of Vocus’ $1 billion, five-year strategy, which also includes Vocus’ Project Horizon, a new 2,000 km fibre route from Geraldton to Port Hedland, commencing construction soon.

This will connect with the DJSC, establishing a redundant fibre path between Perth and Singapore through the Pilbara.

It aims to bring competition in fibre services to the region for the first time.

“This final component of the DJSC system will help transform Darwin’s economy and establish it as a new high-tech centre in Southeast Asia," the recently appointed Vocus chief executive Ellie Sweeney said 

“The system unlocks Darwin as a major new data hub for the Asia Pacific and establishes both Darwin and Port Hedland as new entry points for international data into Australia, providing greater resilience and redundancy to ensure international internet connectivity,” she said.

“The Darwin-Jakarta-Singapore cable will be a game-changer for business in the Territory. It puts the Territory on the fast track to diversify our economy beyond our traditional focuses and creates opportunities for new long-term jobs in the high-tech sector," Chamber of Commerce NT chief executive Greg Ireland said.

Data Centre operator NEXTDC also announced plans to construct a hyperscale data centre in Darwin, connected by the new cable.

“Having major data centre infrastructure in Darwin will give businesses the opportunity to host content and applications close to their operations and customers – whether in north-western Australia or Southeast Asia - for faster, more responsive performance,” Sweeney said.

Vocus recently appointed Dominic Hughes as head of channels as part of the telco’s $1 billion investment and growth program.