SubCo, an Australian firm specializing in digital infrastructure, is preparing to establish a land-based fiber optic pathway connecting Sydney and Melbourne. – SubCo. This week, the firm unveiled SM-1, an 850km ground fiber network linking Sydney and Melbourne. The greenfield path is set to become operational in June 2028.
The company stated that SM-1 would provide a minimum of 96 fiber pairs between Australia’s biggest data center markets, ensuring crucial domestic route diversification via a completely new, independent path. SubCo, a division of Bevan Slattery’s Soda Group, is the owner of the Oman Australia Cable and is currently working on various domestic and international subsea cable systems surrounding Australia.
SubCo is considering acquiring a cable ship. According to ITNews, Slattery addressed the AusNOG conference in Brisbane last month, emphasizing the need for improved survey capabilities and a dedicated vessel capable of laying and repairing submarine cables in Australia. The company may also consider acquiring its own uncrewed surface drone (USV) for surveys and potentially obtaining a cable-laying vessel, which Australia currently lacks.
However, government funding would be necessary to secure such assets. A decision on purchasing a cable vessel remains to be made. He stated that he will complete it before the year’s conclusion.
If a timeline is chosen, construction and delivery could be completed by the end of 143. Acquiring a cable ship may cost approximately AU$250 million (US$174 million). Further information can be found in the Telecoms & 5G section.
On the eleventh day of August in the year twenty-six hundred and twenty-six. On the fifteenth day of September in the year two thousand and twenty-six. The date is September 21, 2026.
