A data centre without diverse fibre is a building full of isolated computers. Fibre links campuses to each other, to carrier networks, to cloud on-ramps, to interconnection points and to international subsea cables. As new capacity moves to Western Sydney, Melbourne's west and regional sites, the fibre routes between those campuses and the established interconnection hubs matter more.
The Role of Fibre in Data Centres
Fibre suppliers deliver:
- Dark fibre: unlit fibre leased to the customer, who runs their own optical equipment. Preferred by hyperscalers for capacity and control
- Lit services: wavelengths and Ethernet services from carriers
- Carrier-neutral building entry: multiple physically separate entry points and carrier rooms
- Metro networks: links between campuses and interconnection hubs
- Long-haul: intercity routes (e.g. Sydney–Melbourne–Adelaide–Perth, Brisbane–Sydney)
- Subsea connectivity: access to international cable systems via cable landing stations
- Internal structured cabling: meet-me rooms, cross-connects and data hall cabling
Key Infrastructure Requirements
Carrier diversity
Buyers expect several independent carriers available in the building, so no single carrier failure isolates the site.
Path diversity
At least two physically separate routes from the campus to separate interconnection points, with no shared conduits, bridges or rail corridors. This is the most common gap on greenfield sites.
Interconnection
Access to internet exchanges and cloud on-ramps. In Sydney these concentrate in inner-city facilities (Equinix's SY campus in Alexandria and Mascot, Global Switch in Ultimo, NEXTDC's northern sites). In Perth, Equinix PE3 has direct connection to subsea systems.
Latency
Inference and enterprise workloads need low latency to users and interconnection points. Training clusters are less sensitive, which is why regional AI proposals (Western Downs, the Kimberley) are feasible if long-haul diversity is solved.
Subsea connectivity
- Perth: INDIGO West (Perth–Singapore via Jakarta, about 4,600 km, landing at Floreat Beach) and the Oman Australia Cable (Perth–Muscat)
- Sydney: Australia's main east coast international gateway, with trans-Pacific systems and INDIGO Central to Perth
Cable protection matters too: two Perth cables were damaged in 2024 (The Conversation).
Australian Fibre Suppliers
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| Type | Typical scope |
|---|---|
| Carriers and wholesale fibre providers | Dark fibre, waves, Ethernet, long-haul |
| Subsea cable owners and landing operators | International capacity, landing station access |
| Fibre construction contractors | Trenching, conduit, hauling, splicing |
| Structured cabling contractors | Data hall and meet-me room cabling, testing |
Selecting a Supplier
- Route maps: evidence of physical diversity, not just logical diversity
- Build capability and timeframes for new routes to greenfield campuses
- Presence at the interconnection points the tenant needs
- Restoration SLAs and patrol and maintenance arrangements
- Capacity roadmap: scalability to multi-terabit requirements for AI clusters
Current Project Demand
New campuses in precincts without existing fibre density need new diverse routes: the Mamre Road precinct at Kemps Creek, Erskine Park, Eastern Creek expansions, Marsden Park, Laverton and Tullamarine. Regional proposals (Western Downs Digital Park, Project Meridien) need long-haul diversity over hundreds or thousands of kilometres.
Relevant Data Centre Projects
Western Sydney projects · Perth's connectivity role · Sydney connectivity · All projects
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Fibre routes are often agreed before a campus is built. AISB helps fibre providers identify new campuses early and reach the developers and network architects deciding connectivity.
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