Intercity Dark Fibre Network
We're building the Intercity Dark Fibre network of the future
A hyper-connected network to support all communities
Over the next five years to 2027, Telstra will be boosting its national fibre network, with new fibre paths being installed across the country. The new fibre paths will boost capacity and speed to meet the needs of tomorrow’s connectivity between cities, regional and remote communities.
Using leading ultra-low loss technology and strategically positioned amplification sites, this network will support remote working and education, health services, entertainment, online gaming and IoT applications for mining and agriculture.
Why Intercity Dark Fibre Network will work for your business
Express network
It will enable direct high-data fibre connectivity between capital cities (with no breakouts).
Fast speeds
Express transmission between Australia’s biggest cities to enable target transmission rates of up to 650Gbps per channel, which can equate to up to 50Tbps per fibre pair.
Accessibility and resilience
National ramp will enable break out approximately every 5km at every optical joint/ building. Equating to approximately 4,000 ramp on and off points nationally without interfering with the network.
Durability
Cable design is proven to withstand Australia’s unique environmental conditions and designed to reduce carbon footprint.
Monitoring
We employ fibre sensing technology for real-time optical fibre performance metrics enable predictive action and rapid fault localisation.
When built, the network could be considered the largest, most advanced long-haul terrestrial network deployed anywhere in the world to date.
— Duane Robbins, Global Product Line Manager, Advanced Fibres, Corning Optical Communications
Future-proofed features
Express network
An ultra-low loss fibre (Corning SMF-28 ULL wAB) will provide reliable, super-high bandwidth between capital cities and international submarine cable landing stations. The new network will deliver greater performance and capacity, high-data-rate, dark fibre services, and will have a flexible design for future connectivity to non-capital city data centres and data centre hubs.
Foundation network
A low-loss fibre (Prysmian BBA2) renewal/upgrade of the existing intercity network with technically improved fibre, cable, and architecture. It will provide additional capacity between capital cities, enhance performance and improve connectivity to regional Australia to support the anticipated growth in bandwidth over the next 25+ years.
Collaborating with the best to deliver an ultra-low latency network
Whitepapers from our collaborators, Corning and Infinera, discuss the technologies and techniques that will be used to deliver our new high-performance intercity fibre network build. This market-leading customer solution is one of Telstra's long-term transformation strategy goals.
Connecting Australia via the Intercity Dark Fibre network
Our investment in new fibre-optic technology will connect capital cities, with transmission rates that are six times faster than today’s. It will also mean ultra-fast connectivity into regional and remote areas for work, learning, health services and more.
Footage: Aerial footage of cityscape at night with a network running through it, represented by a fast moving purple neon light. We end with a shot of Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Voiceover: At Telstra lnfraCo we're always growing. From the very start we've been connecting Australia to a future that's higher, faster, bigger. And now we're building the new Intercity Fibre Network. This is an ambitious and complex project, constructing across the wide and diverse Australian environment and engaging with many stakeholders.
Footage: Montage of field workers climbing towers, laying fibre and driving tractors.
Voiceover: We're investing in brand new fibre-optical technology and fibre-optic cables that are high capacity and ultra-low latency, enabling data to move faster and more efficiently than ever before. These new cables are designed for and manufactured in Australia.
Footage: Montage of remote Australian landscapes, data moving across a screen and different end users enjoying the speedy technology.
Voiceover: The first cable will provide an express fibre link between capital cities, designed for customers seeking premium Point to Point connectivity over long distances. This network will enable transmission rates of up to 650Gbps based on current technology that’s over six times today’s common rate of 100Gbps.
Footage: Globe featuring map of Australia, with a rapidly moving animated pink line depicting all the capital cities the first fibre optic cable will reach. A montage follows showing construction in action with both lab and field workers.
Voiceover: And the second cable will include access points along the routes to provide ultra-fast connectivity into regional and remote communities, improving wireless capability, further supporting remote working and education, health services, and industrial automation and sustainability technologies in mining, manufacturing and agriculture.
Footage: Globe featuring map of Australia, with a rapidly moving animated blue line depicting all the regional and remote points the second fibre optic cable will reach. A montage follows showing the connectivity in action: in the classroom, a health centre, a town, a windfarm and milk bottling factory.
Voiceover: Our commitment is real. The build is well underway, with teams working in some of the most remote areas of the country, as the planning, design and construction continues. Our Intercity Fibre Network is a visionary nation-building endeavour.
Footage: Montage of mountains, desert outback areas, city houses, an animated globe, automated factory, construction and builders consulting in the field.
Voiceover: The network will form the backbone for Australia’s future digital economy, providing a global platform for Australian skills, technology, innovation and enterprise to have the reach and impact they deserve.
Footage: Telstra InfraCo logo.
InfraCo Intercity network map
Both our express (pink) and foundation (blue) networks are less than a five-cent piece in diameter.
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