The new 1,000km cable connects to Vocus’ existing Australia Singapore Cable (ASC) which runs from Perth to Singapore, with the existing North West Cable System which runs from Darwin to Port Hedland.
“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," said Ellie Sweeney, chief executive officer at Vocus.
“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.”
Together, these two system form the new Darwin-Jakarta-Singapore Cable (DJSC) system, spanning 7,700km between Darwin and Singapore. The new international system is currently undergoing final testing and is scheduled to be ready for service later this year.
The DJSC forms part of Vocus’ $1 billion, five-year investment strategy, which also includes Project Horizon, a new 2,000km fibre route from Geraldton to Port Hedland, which is due to start construction soon. Project Horizon will connect with the DJSC, creating a redundant fibre path between Perth and Singapore.
“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,” said Natasha Fyles, chief minister of the Northern Territory.
“The Northern Territory Government is working to establish the NT as Australia’s digital gateway to Asia to contribute to the growth of the economy by $40 billion by 2030.
DJSC will connect to the company ‘Terabit Territory’ fibre backbone from Darwin to Adelaide and Brisbane. The final segment of the cable marks completion and deployment works for the A$500 million DJSC system.
Installed by Alcatel Submarine Networks, the crew aboard the Ile de Re cable ship successfully lifted the ASC from a depth of 5km up to the ocean's surface, splicing it to the new cable segment on deck.
The cable has been built with a financial contribution from the Northern Territory Government as part of its Terabit Territory strategy.
“Our government has invested $7.9 million in this critical new infrastructure to link the Northern Territory to Jakarta and Singapore,” said Ngaree Ah Kit, minister for corporate and digital development.
“This is the first international fibre-optic cable connection for Darwin that will provide the connectivity we need to become a key digital hub for Asia.
At the same time, NEXTDC has announced plans to construct a hyperscale data centre in Darwin connected by the cable.
“We are now progressing the development of NEXTDC's first facility in Darwin to set the benchmark for data centres in the region, providing 100% uptime in addition to fast, secure and flexible access to Australia's most cloud connected ecosystem," said Craig Scroggie, CEO and managing director at NEXTDC.
"In partnership with Vocus and the Northern Territory Government, NEXTDC is committed to driving the economic development for key government and industry sectors in the region.”
