Tasman Express cable to boost Sydney-Auckland data capacity

Southern Cross Cables Limited has announced the achievement of significant milestones for its Tasman Express subsea cable project, which aims to provide a direct connectivity route between Sydney and Auckland.

The Tasman Express subsea cable will span approximately 2,200 kilometres beneath the Tasman Sea, offering a high-speed, low-latency link intended to address the increasing demand for trans-Tasman data capacity. With commercial service expected in 2028, the project has already garnered interest from cloud service providers, content platforms, and government agencies across both Australia and New Zealand.

According to Southern Cross Cables Limited, the new cable has been engineered to deliver multi-terabit throughput and ultra-low latency. This infrastructure is set to support developments in cloud services, artificial intelligence (AI) training and inferencing, critical enterprise workloads, and various digital initiatives between the two countries.

"Tasman Express is more than infrastructure - it's a strategic enabler for the region's digital future," said Mr Laurie Miller, President & CEO of Southern Cross Cables Limited. "It strengthens our connectivity, enhances resilience, and positions Australia and New Zealand to lead in the global digital economy."

Scheduled for operation in 2028, Tasman Express is designed to offer 400 terabits per second (Tbps) of capacity through 16 fibre pairs. The system includes optimised latency specifically to connect major data centre hubs, and operates using open cable system architecture, which allows for compatibility with future upgrades to submarine line terminals. In addition, the use of ASN branching unit technology enables the option for additional landings in alternative locations in both Australia and New Zealand, depending on future demand.

Mr Miller commented on the industry response to the project:

"The level of market engagement and confidence in Tasman Express has been exceptional. We're seeing strong demand from hyper-scalers, telcos, and enterprise customers who recognise the strategic value of direct, low-latency connectivity between Sydney and Auckland."

Key benefits highlighted by the company include the creation of a direct, high-capacity route between Sydney and Auckland, resulting in reduced latency and improved performance for mission-critical applications. Additionally, the new route is expected to enhance network resilience by diversifying existing connectivity paths and mitigating risks associated with outages or disruptions. The infrastructure has been described as future-proof, capable of supporting exponential growth in bandwidth requirements for a range of customers, including hyper-scalers, telecommunications providers, and large enterprises. Improved access to interconnectivity between the main data-centre hubs in the region is another anticipated benefit.

The Tasman Express cable will operate as part of the wider Southern Cross network, complementing existing trans-Pacific routes and reinforcing the company's international offerings. Even as the Tasman Express system remains under development, customers are reportedly able to increase their trans-Tasman capacity through Southern Cross's current network infrastructure.

Project progress

Southern Cross Cables Limited stated that while the initial desktop study for the Tasman Express project was completed over a year ago, progress has since continued through a series of complex milestones. These have included the completion of the detailed system design, execution of open system and marine supply contracts with comprehensive costings and defined deployment timelines, agreements for landing and backhaul connections on both sides of the Tasman, and the securing of financial arrangements to support the project. The company has also indicated that discussions with potential anchor customers are advancing, with pre-sales expected soon.

Sector response

The announcement indicates strong engagement from potential customers from sectors such as cloud computing, telecommunications, and enterprise networking, as well as government agencies. This interest is attributed to the cable's proposed technical specifications and its strategic role in digital transformation and economic cooperation in the region.

Southern Cross noted that the Tasman Express project is particularly relevant for industries including financial technology, media, education, and remote services, which are increasingly reliant on rapid and resilient digital connectivity between Australia and New Zealand.

While customers anticipate the completion of the Tasman Express cable, the company maintains that existing Southern Cross network links continue to provide trans-Tasman services to meet current market demand.

The company also referenced its ongoing engagement with stakeholders in the Pacific connectivity sector.