Queensland’s state government backhaul provider QCN has lit up 35Tbps of diverse capacity from Brisbane to the JGA South landing station at Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast.
Queensland’s digital economy minister Leeanne Enoch MP said: “This new capability aims to support Queensland’s economic recovery and attract new investment into our regions, creating jobs, innovation and new industries across our state. QCN is continuing to use its capacity, reach and national and international connections to improve backhaul to service providers and help our regions to compete globally.”
QCN CEO Derek Merdith said its “cost-competitive backhaul across Queensland can now connect our partners directly from Queensland via the JHA South Submarine Cable to the world” offering “the fastest international connection point” from Australia’s east coast to Asia and one of the fastest routes to the west coast of the US.
Merdith added: “This vital piece of infrastructure will boost Queensland’s telecommunications capacity and provide geographic diversity. Queensland businesses will, for the first time, be able to bypass Sydney and connect directly internationally. And it lays the ideal foundation to drive further infrastructure investment in the region, such as a regional datacentre.”
Sunshine Coast Council Mayor Mark Jamieson said: “Council’s joint investment with the Queensland government in the International Broadband Network was always expected to have much broader benefits than economic benefits for the Sunshine Coast. It is great to see these benefits, including connectivity for Queensland and in particular, regional Queensland are coming to fruition.”
The 7000km JGA South stretches from Australia to Guam.
Managing director global sales for RTI Cable, Dave Pearson, said the network build into the landing station “will enable direct, high capacity, low-latency access to key markets globally, bringing innovation on the ground and across the state.”
The chief executive of datacentre operator Iseek, Jason Gomersall also welcomed the announcement: “This is a game-changer for Queensland businesses trying to grow their presence in Asia. This is vitally important at a time when we have limited physical contact with our Asian and American neighbours.”
As appeared in Communications Day – 30 July 2021 – commsday.com
