Australian Telecommunications Company Vocus has announced the activation of the first international fibre-optic cable in Darwin, according to the announcement made last week. This activation of the Darwin segment of the DJSC system positions Darwin as a key digital hub for the Asia Pacific region.
Also Read: Vocus Rolls Out Final Segment of Its DJSC Subsea Cable
Vocus Empowers Darwin's Digital Hub
Vocus stated that a new cable system worth $100 million has been established, covering a distance of 1,000 kilometres. This system (Dotted Yellow) links the North-West Cable System of Vocus, running from Darwin to Port Hedland (Represented in Yellow), with the Australia Singapore Cable (ASC) (Represented in Blue), which runs from Perth to Singapore.
With this linkage, a new system called the Darwin-Jakarta-Singapore Cable (DJSC) has been created, which involves a total distance of 7,700 kilometres between Darwin and Singapore (Represented in Yellow).
According to Vocus, $500 million was invested in creating strategic infrastructure that will ensure smooth and fast connectivity between North Australia and the Asian market.
DJSC System Connects Australia's North to Asia
Vocus highlighted the significance of the DJSC system, stating, "Submarine cables are the superhighways of the global internet, carrying 97 percent of global internet traffic between major data centres. The DJSC system will deliver this high-capacity connectivity straight into the heart of Darwin, establishing Australia's North as a new data hub for the Asia Pacific region."
As part of Vocus' investment strategy worth $1 billion, the DJSC plays a crucial role. Another initiative is 'Project Horizon', a 2,000km inland fibre route from Perth to Port Hedland.
The project will connect with the DJSC in Port Hedland, creating a redundant fibre path from Perth to Singapore through Pilbara. This will also provide competitive fibre to Australia's primary resources region for the first time.
Also Read: Vocus Completes Submarine Fibre Cable Linking Darwin to Asia Pacific
Terabit Territory
The Northern Territory has also invested $7.9 Million as part of its 'Terabit Territory' strategy to become a major data centre hub.
"The DJSC connects to the 'Terabit Territory' inter capital fibre backbone from Darwin to Adelaide and Brisbane, which Vocus upgraded with a 25-times capacity increase in 2021. Combined with DJSC and Terabit Territory fibre network, allow data from Singapore to flow through Darwin to all mainland capitals on Vocus' national fibre network," stated the official release.
NEXTDC's Flagship Data Centre
Data centre operator NEXTDC has already announced plans to construct a flagship hyperscale data centre in Darwin, directly connected to the DJSC system. This will offer an alternative to offshore data centres for companies seeking a location close to Asia within a geopolitically stable region.
NEXTDC stated that it is committed to providing 100 percent uptime in addition to fast, secure, and flexible access to Australia's most cloud-connected ecosystem.
With the DJSC system now operational, Darwin emerges as a prominent digital gateway to the Asia Pacific, driving Australia's technological landscape into a new era of connectivity and opportunity.
