Sunshine Coast International Broadband Network project

Queensland’s first direct international data and telecommunications connection to global markets is now in service.

Now that the network is operational, the Sunshine Coast provides the fastest international connection point from Queensland and east Australia to Asia, a significant step-change in the Sunshine Coast's attractiveness as an investment location.

The project will help stimulate local business, generate new investment and improve telecommunications diversity to Australia’s east coast. The cable plays an important role in future proofing the Sunshine Coast’s telecommunications capacity and increase the region’s smart city capability, ensuring access to important data networks.

About the project

Council has facilitated the landing of an international submarine cable at Maroochydore following an international submarine cable contract agreed between Sunshine Coast Council and RTI Connectivity Pty Ltd (RTI-C).

The project includes a 550km undersea fibre optic cable which connects the Sunshine Coast to the 7000km Japan-Guam-Australia South (JGA-S) submarine cable. The cable is laid out or buried under the sea floor and connects to the NextDC SC1 Sunshine Coast data centre adjacent to the new Maroochydore City Centre.

The data centre houses the connection point for the international submarine cable with landside communication networks.

The project is forecast to deliver up to 864 new jobs and stimulate $927 million in new investment in Queensland. Ultimately, the cable means more jobs and more business in our local economy - at a time when it's needed most.

Queensland businesses will, for the first time, be able to bypass Sydney and connect direct internationally. This will provide business with a range of new opportunities that come with increased speed and diversity. This connectivity will give major data-intensive companies such as Meta, Google, Amazon and Microsoft the opportunity to revisit the benefits of where they locate their Australian investments.

On the world business map

The cable places the Sunshine Coast on the international business map as a leading investment destination for commerce and industry for the world’s biggest data users and those looking for a location with superior telecommunications and data infrastructure.

For the local community, the project will, over time, lead to faster, more affordable broadband access and stimulate investment that will create hundreds of new jobs.

The Sunshine Coast international broadband network project well and truly marks us as Australia’s healthy, smart, creative region.