The new $100 million, 1,000km cable links Vocus’ existing North-West Cable System which runs from Darwin to Port Hedland with Vocus’ Australia Singapore Cable (ASC) from Perth to Singapore.

It received a $7.9 million contribution from the Northern Territory government’s Terabit Territory programme.

The cables form the DJSC system, a $500 million investment stretching 7,000 kilometres between Darwin and Singapore.

Vocus claims the connection will provide lower latency connectivity between Australia’s northern region and Asia.

The newly-activated cable establishes Darwin and Port Hedland as the fourth and fifth entry points for connectivity following Sydney, Perth, and Maroochydore.

DJSC is part of Vocus’ $1 billion investment strategy which includes “Project Horizon,” a 2000km inland fibre route from Perth to Port Hedland.

The project will connect DJSC in Port Hedland to establish a fibre path between Perth and Singapore though Pilbara while bringing fibre to Australia’s resources region for the first time.

“Submarine cables are the superhighways of the global internet, carrying 97% 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,” said Vocus CEO Ellie Sweeney.

“The DJSC connects to the ‘Terabit Territory’ intercapital 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 the Singapore to flow through Darwin to all mainland capitals on Vocus’ national fibre network.”

Commonwealth Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland MP said the activation of the cable will help “help narrow the digital divide, support more reliable communications into the future, and establish Darwin as a leading connectivity hub in the region.”

“Diversification of our international cable landing points is strategically important for Australia's telecommunications resilience. Removing our reliance on a single cable landing point minimises vulnerabilities and increases our ability to remain connected,” she said.

Data centre investments already underway
Following the activation, data centre operator Nextdc plans to construct a flagship hyperscale data centre in Darwin connected by the cable, which will offer an alternative to offshore data centres for companies seeking a location close to Asia within a geopolitically stable region.

“We are now progressing the development of Nextdc's first facility in Darwin to set the benchmark for data centres in the region, providing 100% uptime in addition to fast, secure, and flexible access to Australia’s most cloud connected ecosystem. In partnership with Vocus and the Northern Territory Government, Nextdc is committed to driving the economic development of key government and industry sectors in the region,” said Nextdc CEO and managing director Craig Scroggie.