SUBCO expands Australia network route diversity

Author: Joe Peck

SUBCO, an Australian developer of undersea fibre optic cable networks, has expanded its Australian network with additional route diversity between Sydney and Melbourne, alongside new data centre access points across major cities.

The company says its Sydney–Melbourne connection now operates across two geographically independent paths, combining subsea and terrestrial infrastructure to improve resilience on one of the country’s busiest corridors.

On the Sydney–Perth route, the Indigo Central and SMAP systems provide two separate cable paths with distinct geographic routes. Both systems operate independently, with separate landing stations, submarine line terminal equipment, and data centre connections to reduce the risk of disruption from a single incident.

Bevan Slattery, founder and Co-CEO of SUBCO, explains, “Diversity has traditionally been something customers needed to engineer themselves, engaging multiple providers and hoping the underlying paths were physically separate. SUBCO’s strategy has been to own and operate diverse assets and deliver them as a single, fully integrated offering.”

Expanded data centre connectivity

SUBCO has also introduced new access points across Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth, extending connectivity to its domestic and international cable network.

New connection locations include facilities operated by NextDC, Equinix, AirTrunk, and CDC Data Centres.

The update forms part of a wider infrastructure expansion programme, which also includes the APX East subsea cable project. This planned system is expected to connect Australia directly with the mainland United States, with service targeted for late 2028.

According to SUBCO, APX East will provide a direct subsea route without intermediate landing points, and will land north of Sydney’s existing cable protection zone to increase geographic separation.