Cable landing signals cheaper broadband

PIPE International's submarine cable, PPC-1, which will run from Sydney to the telecommunications interconnection hub of Guam has landed at Collaroy in Sydney's northern beaches. The landing is a significant milestone in the $200m project, which, when complete, could lower the cost of broadband and increase its speed.

The landing was completed from the cable ship Tyco Durable, which is carrying 4787 km of cable. The operation completes two of three landings in the project. The first landing took place in Guam on 29 April, and the third will follow in Madang in Papua New Guinea in the coming weeks.

The PPC-1 cable will connect Australia, Papua New Guinea and Guam and provide onward connectivity to Asia and the US. With a capacity of 1.92 terabits per second over two fibre pairs, the system will provide diversity to the few existing routes in the region.

The project was launched in January 2008 and is scheduled for completion by September 2009. In addition, there are branching units in the system that will allow for future connectivity to other locations.