First announced during Submarine Networks World 2023, the project, Inligo says, represents a crucial step in bolstering digital infrastructure between Australia and Asia, while strengthening Darwin's role as a strategic communications hub.
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Ken Michael, COO of the company said: "This station will deliver crucial infrastructure for Northern Australia, offering a direct, low-latency path for international capacity into Darwin and further into Australia. We expect this will significantly shorten routes to Asia and enhance digital connectivity."
The station is part of the company's broader Asia Connect Cable (ACC-1) project, designed to bypass congested cable networks in the South China Sea and enhance connectivity across the Indo-Pacific region.
Key nodes of the ACC-1 network will connect Guam, the United States, Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, East Timor, and Darwin, Australia.
As highlighted in a recent report by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), this infrastructure is expected to have significant military applications, supporting forces from Australia, Japan, and the United States in the Northern Territory.
In June 2024, Inligo, with the support of the Northern Territory Government, secured land in Fannie Bay for the development.
The location is close to the Asia Connect Cable's landing point and will host vital infrastructure such as subsea cable termination equipment and transmission systems that will interlink with domestic networks, including the Unite Cable System.
The Unite Cable System has been recognised as a major project by the Northern Territory Government, enhancing its potential to link Darwin with South Australia and the eastern states through a high-capacity fibre network.
This will ensure low-latency connections from international subsea cables to users across Australia.
Construction of the open CLS is projected to be completed by the second half of 2026, with operations expected to begin shortly after.
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