In a bid to improve digital connectivity, the Sunshine Coast Council has partnered with Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) and NEXTDC to advance the Australia Connect initiative.
The project will develop a new landing point in Australia for the Tabua trans-Pacific subsea cable, stretching from the US and Fiji to Australian shores.
The cable will plug into NEXTDC’s SC1 data centre in Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast in 2025, with the goal of offering enhanced connectivity and faster, more resilient internet infrastructure for businesses.
Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli said the initiative was an outstanding win for the region and the benefits extended far beyond just improved connectivity.
“Creating a point of difference by investing in digital infrastructure is helping to develop a thriving, tech-enabled future,” Mayor Natoli said.
“We are excited to partner with Google and NEXTDC on this project, to help improve digital resilience across the country and the new Pacific.”
Enabling the next generation of connectivity
“The additional cable complements a range of existing technology capabilities including WIFI 6 and will be strategically located in the 100% uptime Tier III facility owned and operated by NEXTDC,” Natoli continued.
“This project builds on the significant progress being made to establish Maroochydore City Centre as one of Australia’s fastest growing innovation hubs.”
Mayor Natoli said the system was a welcome addition to the Sunshine Coast’s existing International Broadband Network, which provides the fastest international connection point from Australia’s East Coast to Asia.
“We’re thrilled to expand this strategic partnership with Sunshine Coast Council and Google in support of the Australia Connect initiative, enhancing Australia’s internet connectivity and delivering faster, more secure and reliable digital services,” NEXTDC managing director and CEO Craig Scroggie said.
“This initiative strengthens the Sunshine Coast’s position as a hub for investment and further fortifies Australia’s digital economy.”
Google Cloud Global Network Infrastructure vice-president Brian Quigley said Google was pleased to collaborate with Sunshine Coast Council to bring a new landing for the Tabua subsea cable in Eastern Australia.
“This project will help increase the reliability and resilience of digital connectivity in the Indo-Pacific by improving reliability, adding capacity and reducing latency,” Quigley said.