Initiative
Design and manufacture an undersea fibre optic cable that will connect the Tiwi Islands to the national telecommunications network, strengthening digital connections to the Islands.
Overview
The NT Government is providing Vocus with grant funding of $8.5 million over three years to deliver an undersea fibre optic cable connecting the Tiwi Islands to the national telecommunications network.
Cable design and manufacturing works will be progressed over 2018-19 in preparation for installation in the following year.
This initiative will provide high quality and high capacity optic fibre telecommunications backbone infrastructure to the Tiwi Islands.
Benefits
When complete, this new cable will improve the reliability and capacity of telecommunications for residents and businesses on the Tiwi Islands. This will help to limit the service disruptions in poor weather that occur now and deliver new broadband internet opportunities.
Tiwi Islands' residents and businesses will benefit from having modern communications to the same standard as other parts of Australia. Further work can then be undertaken to improve connections on the Islands from the cable backbone to premises.
2019 progress update
Marine survey and design for the link is complete and the optic fibre cable is planned to be laid in the second half of 2019 with the works to be completed by the end of 2019.