iiNet signs with Pacific Fibre for future capacity

Pacific Fibre has secured another pre-build customer, with major Australian ISP iiNet signing on for capacity in 2014.

The New Zealand-based company is planning a submarine cable network with two 5 Tbps-capable fibres connecting Australia, New Zealand and America via the Pacific, a route currently connected by the Southern Cross Cable Network and Telstra’s Endeavour cable (the latter focusing on Telstra’s own traffic). Other cables, such as the AJC, Telstra Reach and PPC-1, travel north to Asian destinations (with US connectivity available via third-party routes).

A new Perth-Singapore link is also planned by Leighton's, owner of Australia's Nextgen Networks.

The deal comes hard on the heels of Pacific Fibre’s announcement that it has awarded its build contract to TE SubCom.

Pacific’s main competitor, Southern Cross Cable Network, has announced plans to upgrade its capacity following successful trials of 40 Gbps equipment that would, if implemented, give the network an aggregate 6 Tbps maximum capacity.

For iiNet, the route will provide both expansion of its current trans-Pacific capacity and, presumably, redundancy on the route. ®