A large American vessel has turned heads on the Sunshine Coast, where it arrived with an important piece of infrastructure.
The 150m Dependable brought a major subsea cable to Maroochydore on Tuesday, creating a key link between Australia and the United States.
As part of the Australia Connect initiative, the Tabua international submarine cable will connect Queensland through the Pacific and to the US via high-speed and secure cable.
The landing creates the first direct subsea cable connection between Australia and the US that is diverse from Sydney.
The connection is expected to help businesses, governments and communities across Australia benefit from faster, more reliable digital services.
Want more free local news? Follow Sunshine Coast News on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram, and sign up for our FREE daily news email.
Beachgoers witnessed the arrival of the Dependable, just off the coast, before the cable was pulled ashore via an operation involving excavators, winches, boats and divers.
The cable landing builds on Sunshine Coast Council’s previous infrastructure investments and is supported by NEXTDC’s SC1 data centre and SC2 data centre 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.
Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli celebrated the cable landing at Maroochydore.
“The Tabua cable will mean faster, more reliable internet for locals, businesses and the Pacific,” she said.
“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 centres and smart city development, further strengthening the region’s reputation as an innovation hub.”
Related story: Coast gets more recognition with cable landing station sale
Google Global Infrastructure vice president Bikash Koley said the cable landing was an important part of nationwide investments to help build Australia’s digital future.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
NEXTDC CEO Craig Scroggie said the cable reinforced Sunshine Coast as a communication hub.
“We are excited about the Tabua subsea cable’s arrival in Queensland, reinforcing Sunshine Coast as a vital connectivity gateway in supporting Australia’s digital economy,” he said.
“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.”
Vocus chief executive officer Andrés Irlando said Vocus was proud to partner with Google on the Australia Connect and Pacific Connect initiatives and to play a part in establishing critical digital infrastructure for the region.
“The cable will link to our 50,000km national fibre 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 US and Asia,” he said.
Key benefits include: more reliable connectivity for cloud services, data transfer and digital operations including supporting modern AI systems; more options for international bandwidth, providing access to regional markets for Australian digital exports and improving competitiveness for Sunshine Coast businesses; for residents it enables faster and more reliable internet for everyday use like streaming, working from home, online learning and using services like Google Maps; enhanced resilience through diverse landing points, including Queensland’s Sunshine Coast; new investment opportunities in tech, data centres and smart city development; and stronger regional ties with the Pacific, positioning the Sunshine Coast as a digital hub in the Indo-Pacific.
