BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA, 14TH DECEMBER, 2021 – Today HyperOne announced it is
commencing construction of Australia’s new 20,000km hyperscale digital backbone, and has
selected its Australian manufacturer of fibre optic cable for the first phase of the project.
Speaking at the launch at AFL’s factory floor in Melbourne, HyperOne founder Bevan
Slattery announced it has commenced construction activity on Phase 1a, which is a 2,300km
diverse fibre loop connecting Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne – Australia’s “Cloud Alley”.
Mr Slattery said the first stage of the network, which is 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,” Mr 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 has also announced its contract with Australian-based manufacturer AFL Global,
which includes 7,600km of fibre for the first phase of network construction. Production is set
to take place at AFL Global’s Melbourne factory, where one of the largest individual orders of
Australian-made fibre will be manufactured.
“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% designed for
Australia’s conditions.
“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% ducted or armoured backbone,” Mr Slattery said.
AFL CEO for Australia and New Zealand Tony Dunstan said the HyperOne contract was 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.”
Federal Minister for the Digital Economy, Senator Jane Hume, said today’s announcement
was a great vote of confidence in Victorian’s manufacturing future and the jobs the industry
generates.
“Australia’s manufacturing sector will lead the charge as our economy rebounds from Covid-
19,” she said.
“The Morrison Government is backing Aussie manufacturing with our $1.3 Billion Modern
Manufacturing Initiative, but we also need Australian businesses to support local suppliers
whenever possible, and this is a great example of that.”
Minister Hume said HyperOne was also an important investment in Australia’s future
economic growth and tech jobs.
“High quality infrastructure is one of the key components of our government’s Digital
Economy Strategy. Projects like HyperOne will ultimately help us to grow the economy while
also creating more and better paying jobs.”
Media Enquiries
Kate Jones
kate.jones@capitalb.net
+61475961199
About HyperOne
HyperOne is Australia’s new $1.5 billion, 20,000km+ hyperscale fibre optic network. The
project will be the most complete national fibre backbone ever constructed and the first built
in almost two decades, connecting all major data hubs in every capital city in every state and
territory, and delivering better connectivity to regional and remote areas.
HyperOne will be a significant enabler of the future growth of our nation and our digital
economy, capable of delivering more traffic than every other national backbone built in
Australia’s history combined – carrying over 10,000 terabits per second. HyperOne will
support future industries such as aerospace, AI/machine learning, cloud, satellite, defense,
resources, agriculture and renewable energy as well as provide critical backhaul
transmission capacity to existing digital infrastructure and local distribution networks such as
the National Broadband Network and mobile operators.
HyperOne will break down the digital divide between our cities and our remote, Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander populations and isolated communities. Lack of access to
high-speed, reliable digital infrastructure is a major barrier to the development of industry
and jobs in regional and remote areas. By providing valuable off ramps to deliver critical
digital infrastructure and connectivity we will open up opportunities in these underserved
communities.
The project provides critical infrastructure of not only national and but also international
significance. It will more than double the number of locations international undersea cables
can land and interconnect in Australia, creating an unprecedented opportunity for Australia
to cement its position as a secure, stable and capable interconnection point in the greater
Asian region.
HyperOne is committed to delivering a carbon-neutral hyperscale network. To achieve this
we will utilise a variety of clean energy technologies. HyperOne is also committed to the
project being built by Australians for Australians. We will also prioritise local suppliers, local
materials and local workers to deliver the project, driving strong job creation at a critical time
for our economy.
PR Archives: Latest, By Company, By Date