PIPE International’s submarine cable, PPC-1, which will run from Sydney to the telecommunications interconnection hub of Guam, landed this morning at Collaroy in Sydney’s northern beaches. The landing is a significant milestone in the $200m project, which, when complete, is set to lower capacity costs by generating increased competition in the Australian market.
PIPE International CEO, Bevan Slattery says, “The completion of this cable landing is a major milestone in the ultimate goal of providing Australia with enhanced, competitive connectivity to the rest of the world,” he said, “We believe the increased competition that PPC-1 will generate will filter down to ordinary Australian users, and that’s why the landing in Sydney, in our home country, is particularly exciting.”
The landing was completed from the cable ship, Tyco Durable, which is carrying 4787 km of cable. The operation completes two of three landings in the project. The first landing took place in Guam on 29th April, and the third will follow in Madang in Papua New Guinea in the coming weeks.
The PPC-1 cable will connect Australia, Papua New Guinea and Guam and provide onward connectivity to Asia and the United States. With a capacity of 1.92 terabits per second over two fiber pairs, the system will provide diversity to the few existing routes in the region. The project launched in January 2008 and is scheduled for completion by September 2009. In addition, there are branching units in the system that will allow for future connectivity to other locations.
“We are pleased to complete the cable landings for the PPC-1 system, which is a testament to the successful collaboration between the PIPE International and Tyco Telecommunications teams,” said David Coughlan, Tyco Telecommunications, CEO. “Upon completion later this year, the system, which is comprised of the newest, most advanced generation of subsea equipment, will provide Australia with needed enhanced connectivity and bandwidth.” Bevan Slattery agrees, “The PPC-1 system brings Australia one step closer to cheaper bandwidth. The countdown to competition has begun.”
