The Sunshine Coast has marked another major milestone in digital connectivity with the landing of the groundbreaking Tabua subsea cable at Maroochydore.
As part of the Australia Connect initiative, the new Tabua international submarine cable will connect Queensland through the Pacific and to the United States via high-speed and secure subsea cable infrastructure.
The Maroochydore landing creates the first direct subsea cable connection between Australia and the United States that is diverse from Sydney.
This connection will help businesses, governments, and communities across Australia benefit from faster, more reliable digital services. Delivered by a specialized vessel, the subsea cable was successfully pulled ashore following an offshore operation involving excavators, winches, boats, and divers.
The cable landing builds on the Sunshine Coast Council’s previous infrastructure investments and is supported by NEXTDC’s SC1 data center, along with the SC2 data center currently under construction in the Maroochydore City Centre.
The Tabua cable will also land in Sydney, Fiji, Hawaii, and the United States, reinforcing the Sunshine Coast as a digital gateway to the world.
Celebrating the cable landing at Maroochydore, Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli said:
“The Tabua cable will mean faster, more reliable internet for locals, businesses, and the Pacific. I’m delighted that Google is now a partner and actively investing in Queensland and, more particularly, on the Sunshine Coast. These investments are designed to secure long-term economic growth and digital resilience for the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, and Australia.”
“This project is expected to unlock new opportunities in tech, data centers, and smart city development, further strengthening the region’s reputation as an innovation hub,” she continued.
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Building Australia’s Digital Future
As an important part of nationwide investments to help build Australia’s digital future, Google Global Infrastructure VP, Bikash Koley, stated:
“We appreciate the collaboration with the Sunshine Coast Council and NEXTDC to enable this new international cable landing, substantially increasing the resilience and diversity of Australia’s connectivity across the Pacific.”
“Australian network providers like Vocus have invested alongside Google for this Sunshine Coast system and will now have new options for international connectivity that complement traditional routes through Sydney,” Koley added.
Reinforcing Sunshine Coast as a vital connectivity gateway in supporting Australia’s digital economy, NEXTDC CEO, Craig Scroggie, remarked:
“Our collaboration with Sunshine Coast Council and Google helps drive NEXTDC’s strategic expansion by enabling continued investment in the critical infrastructure that supports the cable landing stations which will meet growing demand for resilient connectivity across Australia and the APAC region.”
Proudly partnering with Google on both the Australia Connect and Pacific Connect initiatives and playing part in establishing critical digital infrastructure for the region, Vocus CEO, Andrés Irlando, shared:
“The cable will link to our 50,000-km national fiber network through three Australian coastlines, providing more resilient connectivity for Australians and positioning Australia and the Sunshine Coast at the heart of a new global route between the U.S. and Asia.”
In a nutshell, the Tabua subsea cable landing brings multiple advantages, delivering more reliable connectivity for cloud services, data transfers, and digital operations, including the support of modern AI systems. It expands international bandwidth options, enhancing access to regional markets for Australian digital exports and boosting the competitiveness of Sunshine Coast businesses.
Residents will also benefit from faster, more dependable internet for daily activities such as streaming, remote work, online learning, and navigation services. With diverse landing points, including Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, the network ensures stronger resilience and continuity while reinforcing regional ties with the Pacific and positioning the Sunshine Coast as a rising digital hub in the Indo-Pacific region.
