Auscom Wins $1 Mil Deal for Sunshine Coast Cable

By Peter Dinham, ITWire
August 1, 2019

A Sunshine Coast family-based business, Auscom, has been awarded a $1 million contract to provide a key part of the International Broadband Submarine Cable Network.

Under the deal Auscom will deliver the land side fibre network which will connect the beach landing to the cable landing station at Maud Street, Maroochydore.

Once the network is operational in mid-2020, the Sunshine Coast will provide the fastest international connection point from Queensland and east Australia to Asia – described by the Sunshine Coast Council as a significant step-change in the Sunshine Coast’s attractiveness as an investment location.

The $35 million Sunshine Coast International Broadband Submarine Cable project is a jointly funded initiative between Sunshine Coast Council and the Queensland Government through its Jobs and Regional Growth Fund.

Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson said the contract announcement marked the next major milestone in the Sunshine Coast international broadband network project.“It was less than a year ago that council signed contracts with a consortium led by RTI Connectivity to deliver the international broadband submarine cable to the Sunshine Coast,” Mayor Jamieson said.

“Council is the only local government in Australia to secure an investment in an international submarine cable and works have begun on the installation phase ensuring that the connection is on track to be operational by mid-2020.

“Our Sunshine Coast is fast becoming a digital leader and the submarine cable network will help position our region as a key digital trading location from Australia.

“We will be stimulating investment and jobs growth on the Sunshine Coast thanks to the superior telecommunications connectivity and data infrastructure we will be able to offer.

“This could serve to attract some of the biggest data users to our region.

“Once again, our council is at the forefront of thinking outside the square, securing new revenue sources and pursuing opportunities to generate economic and employment growth as a major dividend for our residents, thus ensuring we continue to be Australia’s healthy, smart, creative region.”

Auscom director Chris Douglas has been in the communications industry for 22 years and said the cable project was one of the most innovative he had been involved with.