According to research from Deloitte Access Economics, the new $1.5 billion network is expected to deliver more than $3 billion in direct economic benefits and contribute to $22.6 billion in broader economic gains – most of which in regional areas.
'HyperOne has the potential to unlock opportunities for regional economic development, providing the connectivity needed for regional businesses to compete in the global economy. Delivering affordable backhaul into regional Australia is key to levelling the playing field,' states the report.
Specifically, the found HyperOne could help reduce the digital divide between regional and metropolitan areas, helping to bolster the growth industry away from the major cities. Agriculture and resources in particular are established industries that could benefit from the improved connectivity HyperOne will deliver.
It also found HyperOne could support the construction of new data centres across regional Australia, with Darwin well placed to become a data centre hub for south east Asia. The network could also benefit Australia’s space sector, enabling the construction of more ground stations in regional areas.
“The opportunity is there - and I think we are going to see an explosion in regional economies over the coming decades as we work to close the digital divide between major cities and country areas,” said Bevan Slattery (pictured), founder of HyperOne.
The 20,000km+ HyperOne network will connect every Australian capital leveraging hyperscale fibre optic cables that can carry more than 10,000Tbps. It will also create more than 10,000 jobs during its construction.
In addition, the network will include more than 2,000 on and off ramps across regional areas, giving many communities access to backhaul fibre for the first time, serving as a new fibre backbone.
“In many cases, you have communities with backhaul fibre right under their feet but have no way to access it and are stuck with subpar broadband or satellite connections,” added Slattery.
“That won’t happen with HyperOne. This is a true national network, not a capital city network. The Covid experience has shown us that, in many industries, people can work from anywhere - provided they have fast and reliable internet. HyperOne will open up more opportunities for people to do these jobs from regional communities."
The first stage of construction on HyperOne is due to start soon, with the project due to be completed by late 2024.
