Telstra International said it is upgrading its subsea cable infrastructure to over 800 Tbps of total lit capacity, to meet customers' increasing bandwidth consumption, data centre demands and growth in global backbone networks across key routes, including intra-Asia, Transpacific, and Asia to Australia. The upgraded network utilises the latest optical technology from Infinera and Ciena. The operator said the move was part of its vision to develop a highly autonomous network, aiming to transform customer experiences with a secure, zero-touch infrastructure.
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Telstra's Vision for International Network
On Tuesday, January 21, 2025, Telstra International, the global arm of the Australian telecommunications and technology company Telstra, unveiled its vision and roadmap for the international network.
Telstra International said it is using Infinera's solution to cloudify the infrastructure layer with decoupled software and hardware that will significantly increase the available subsea and backhaul capacity while setting the foundation for its plan of developing a highly autonomous network.
"With the scale of our subsea network in the Pacific, this move will better position us to ensure the stability of the world's digital connectivity," said Roary Stasko, CEO of Telstra International.
Leveraging AI and ML
As part of this transformation, Telstra is integrating AI, machine learning (ML), and cognitive computing to enable network self-management, with full autonomy expected by 2030. The company said it has already simplified its network architecture by removing legacy platforms and introduced Ciena's Blue Planet inventory management system to streamline operations.
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"AI, ML and cognitive computing will be implemented over the next five years for network self-management and standard-based APIs will simplify interoperability, enabling the faster roll-out of innovative solutions and improving customer experiences," Telstra International said.
"This collaboration is helping Telstra accelerate its journey towards AI-driven operations, improving both service delivery and customer experiences," added Joe Cumello, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Blue Planet, a division of Ciena.
"We expect to see traffic grow at a much faster rate, at least three times by 2030, with the development of AI which drives the need for more capacity and a network that covers vast areas of society. In order to deliver this, we need a step change. We are transforming our network at all layers and innovating with strategic partners to apply the principles of virtualised and cloud technologies to the network," said Roary Stasko.
Development of Digital Twin
"Central to the network vision is quality data and inventory management, and the development of a digital twin of Telstra International's network infrastructure," Telstra explained.
This digital twin will act as a virtual replica of the physical network, enabling real-time monitoring, simulation, and optimisation of network operations. By harnessing the power of AI, ML and cognitive computing, the digital twin will provide insights into network performance, facilitating proactive management and continuous improvement, the company explained.
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Highly Autonomous Network by 2030
"By 2030 we will have built a highly autonomous network able to detect underutilised routes and turn capacity up or down or respond to changes or detect vulnerabilities such as temperature levels and move traffic off those to avoid outages. AI and ML give us the opportunity to strengthen our network defence. Underpinning this technology is our people who develop the models and patterns that drive AI and ML," Stasko concluded.