The Sunshine Coast has marked another major milestone in digital connectivity with the landing of the groundbreaking Tabua subsea cable at Maroochydore.
As part of the Australia Connect initiative, the new Tabua international submarine cable will connect Queensland through the Pacific and to the United States via high-speed and secure subsea cable infrastructure.
The Maroochydore landing creates the first direct subsea cable connection between Australia and the United States that is diverse from Sydney.
This connection will help businesses, governments and communities across Australia benefit from faster, more reliable digital services.
Delivered by a specialised vessel, the subsea cable was successfully pulled ashore following an offshore operation involving excavators, winches, boats and divers.
The cable landing builds on Sunshine Coast Council’s previous infrastructure investments and is supported by NEXTDC’s SC1 data centre, and SC2 data centre currently under construction in the Maroochydore City Centre.
The Tabua cable will also land in Sydney, Fiji, Hawaii and the United States – reinforcing the Sunshine Coast as a digital gateway to the world.
Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli celebrated the cable landing at Maroochydore.
“The Tabua cable will mean faster, more reliable internet for locals, businesses and the Pacific,” Mayor Natoli said.
“I’m delighted that Google is now a partner and actively investing in Queensland and more particularly, on the Sunshine Coast.
“These investments are designed to secure long-term economic growth and digital resilience for the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, and Australia.
“This project is expected to unlock new opportunities in tech, data centres, and smart city development, further strengthening the region’s reputation as an innovation hub.”
Google Global Infrastructure vice president Bikash Koley said the cable landing was an important part of a nationwide investments to help build Australia’s digital future.
“We appreciate the collaboration with the Sunshine Coast Council and NEXTDC to enable this new international cable landing, substantially increasing the resilience and diversity of Australia’s connectivity across the Pacific,” Mr Koley said.
“Australian network providers like Vocus have invested alongside Google for this Sunshine Coast system and will now have new options for international connectivity that complement traditional routes through Sydney.”
NEXTDC CEO Craig Scroggie said the cable reinforced Sunshine Coast as a vital connectivity gateway.
“We are excited about the Tabua subsea cable’s arrival in Queensland, reinforcing Sunshine Coast as a vital connectivity gateway in supporting Australia’s digital economy,” Mr Scroggie said.
“Our collaboration with Sunshine Coast Council and Google helps drive NEXTDC’s strategic expansion by enabling continued investment in the critical infrastructure that supports the cable landing stations which will meet growing demand for resilient connectivity across Australia and the APAC region.”
Vocus chief executive officer Andrés Irlando said Vocus was proud to partner with Google on both the Australia Connect and Pacific Connect initiatives and to play a part in establishing critical digital infrastructure for our region.
“The cable will link to our 50,000km national fibre network through three Australian coastlines, providing more resilient connectivity for Australians and positioning Australia and the Sunshine Coast at the heart of a new global route between the US and Asia,” Mr Irlando said.
