Construction of a 20,000km fibre optic network that will connect every major Australian city has commenced today, with HyperOne founder Bevan Slattery announcing he has selected the manufacturer of the cable.
AFL Global has been chosen to produce the fibre optic cable that will make up the $1.5 billion project which will connect all major data hubs in every state and territory, delivering better connectivity to regional and remote areas in the process.
Today, Slattery announced HyperOne has commenced construction on Phase 1a of the ‘digital backbone’ – a 2,300km fibre loop connecting Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne.
Slattery said the first stage of the network, expected to be completed by December 2022, would deliver a critical upgrade to digital infrastructure between Australia’s two most populous cities and the nation’s capital.
“We are thrilled to have started construction works between Sydney and Melbourne, the two largest centres for cloud in Australia. This will provide much-needed additional capacity between these locations,” Slattery said.
“Importantly, this phase of construction will form the foundation of the project as we push the cloud to other capital cities and parts of regional Australia that also require greater connectivity.
“Connecting “Cloud Alley” first will ensure that everywhere we build thereafter is able to take advantage of the access and capability.”
HyperOne also announced its contract with Australian-based manufacturer AFL Global, which includes 7,600km of fibre for the first phase of network construction to be produced at the company’s Melbourne factory.
“AFL’s leading R&D in cable design and development has been brilliant. Together, we are extremely pleased to be delivering Australia’s first backbone that is 100 per cent designed for Australia’s conditions,” Slattery said
“The cable will have three layers of protection including a termite-protected sheath, rodent-protected inner sheath and a non-metallic armouring to provide even more protection from Australia’s harsh soil conditions.
“HyperOne will not only be Australia’s first hyperscale backbone, but also Australia’s first 100 per cent ducted or armoured backbone.”
AFL CEO for Australia and New Zealand Tony Dunstan said the contract with HyperOne represented an important investment in Australian manufacturing.
“This is a great vote of confidence not only in our business, but in our domestic manufacturing sector,” Dunstan said.
“Producing the cable here means local jobs will be created every step of the way with this project.”
Slattery’s ultimate vision is to build digital infrastructure that is capable of carrying over 10,000 terabits per second, to support emerging industries such as aerospace, AI, machine learning, cloud, satellite, defence and more.
The company is also dedicated to delivering a carbon-neutral hyperscale network by using clean energy technologies, and is prioritising Australian suppliers, materials and local workers to deliver the project.
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