The Oman Australia Cable, which began service in 2022, has received an upgrade to increase its speed and reduce latency. The upgrade, implemented by Ciena, enhances the cable’s capacity and performance. The Oman Australia Cable provides a vital link between the two regions, and the improvements will boost connectivity and digital resiliency.
Upgrade Details
The cable, initially launched with a lit capacity of 39 terabits per second (Tbps), has been upgraded to offer a maximum capacity of 48 Tbps. This enhancement is achieved through Ciena’s WaveLogic 5 Extreme coherent modems integrated into the 6500 packet-optical platform as part of Ciena’s GeoMesh Extreme network architecture. Although the upgrade significantly improves the cable’s capacity, specific details about how it affects the cable’s latency have not been disclosed.
The Oman Australia Cable, initiated in 2019 by Subco’s founder Bevan Slattery, was designed to provide a reliable and diverse route between Europe and the Asia Pacific region, circumventing the often-disrupted shipping zones of the Sunda Strait and the South China Sea. Its route diversity is further supported by an interconnection with the Indigo cable, which spans from Singapore to Perth (Indigo West) and then to Sydney (Indigo Central).
Importance of the Cable
The upgraded Oman Australia Cable plays a critical role in enhancing Australia’s digital resiliency by offering a secure and diverse route for connecting Europe with the Asia Pacific region. Lee Harper, Chief Operating Officer at Subco, emphasized the cable’s significance in bolstering connectivity and ensuring the reliability of digital communications between these two geographically distant areas.
The Oman Australia Cable began carrying its first traffic in September 2022, and its improved capabilities will likely further support the growing demand for high-speed and reliable data transmission between Europe and the Asia Pacific region.