Telstra, AARNet, Google, Indosat Ooredoo, Singtel, and SubPartners have highlighted a major milestone in the implementation of the INDIGO subsea cable system, with the landing of the INDIGO West cable at Floreat Beach in Perth.

Telstra said this marked the completion of work to lay the first section of cable across a  2,400km stretch from Christmas Island to the WA capital city.  “Work to lay the second section of the INDIGO West cable between Singapore and Indonesia will start this month and is expected to be completed by the end of December 2018,” a spokesperson for the telco added.

In April 2017, the consortium which includes Telstra entered into an agreement with Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) to build the INDIGO cable system linking Singapore, Perth and Sydney, with two additional fibre pairs connecting Singapore and Jakarta via a branching unit.

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Telstra Head of North Asia & Global Wholesale Paul Abfalter

“The development of the INDIGO West cable has leveraged Telstra’s engineering expertise and the scale of our Australian network,” said Telstra Head of North Asia & Global Wholesale Paul Abfalter. “The cable will connect to Telstra’s extensive terrestrial network to provide onward connectivity around Australia.

“Once complete, the cable system will strengthen links between Australia and fast-growing South East Asian markets by providing the fastest speeds and dramatically improved reliability,” Abfalter said.

“Our vast subsea network is a key part of our international growth strategy and we will continue to invest in additional capacity to meet the increasing demand for data and maintain our network leadership in the Asia-Pacific region.”

The ASN cable ship, the Ile de Brehat, will continue laying the INDIGO Central cable another 4,600kms from Perth to Sydney. Construction of the INDIGO cable system is on-track to be completed and slated for service by mid-2019.

Telstra said the INDIGO cable system will utilise new spectrum sharing technology, enabling each consortium member to independently take advantage of technology improvements for future upgrades and on-demand capacity increases.

Richard van der Draay is in Melbourne as a guest of Telstra