Equinix has been selected by SUBCO for the landing of its new SMAP subsea cable system directly into its International Business Exchange™ (IBX®) data centres in Perth and Sydney as well as SMAP’s Points of Presence (PoP) in Adelaide and Melbourne. This partnership will provide enhanced high-speed network connections between Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, along with onward routes to Asia and Europe via inter-regional subsea cables such as Indigo West and the Oman Australia Cable (OAC), both hosted at Equinix campus in Perth. Enhanced connectivity with low-latency, high-speed networks and robust infrastructure will attract investment into metros like Perth.
While Sydney has long been a key connectivity hub in Australia, Perth has emerged as a vital digital gateway linking Australia to international markets. In 2025, year-to-date as at the end of August, Equinix Internet Exchange® traffic nationwide continues to accelerate, growing by 51% compared to the same period in 2024. This significant surge is driven by the increasing adoption of cloud services and AI, along with the Government’s initiatives to promote digitisation, 5G adoption and smart city development.
Bevan Slattery, Founder of SUBCO, said: “Partnering with Equinix to connect SMAP in its ecosystem-dense data centres enables us to more seamlessly interconnect the many network providers within Equinix facilities as well as our other subsea cable assets in Perth and Sydney. This is especially important due to Perth’s strategic position as Australia’s new secure gateway to Asia and Europe. The SMAP cable sets a new benchmark for high-capacity, low-latency connectivity, empowering businesses in our increasingly interconnected world.”
The SMAP cable will enhance Perth’s global connectivity by providing a direct, high-capacity route through Australia, connecting Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Sydney for the first time via a subsea cable. Landing SMAP in Equinix will enable fast, low-latency data transfers with unparalleled reliability for organisations co-locating in Equinix facilities. By providing redundant routes, SMAP will be able to mitigate congestion and network outages, ensuring seamless global connectivity.
Additionally, Equinix’s vendor-neutral, multi-tenant design allows SMAP customers to access enterprises, cloud on-ramps, and service providers within the same IBX, leveraging interconnection opportunities to enhance network performance and reduce connectivity costs. This architecture ensures faster data traffic delivery and an optimal user experience.
Guy Danskine, Managing Director of Equinix Australia, said: “The SMAP cable will further enhance Australia’s digital infrastructure, helping businesses scale and thrive in our growing digital economy. This direct link between Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth provides a critical alternate and redundant path, enhancing resilience to Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Europe, and further establishing Australia as a global connectivity hub.”
With IBX data centres in 77 metros, many of which host key subsea cable landing sites, Equinix remains a trusted partner for turning bandwidth into collaboration and innovation opportunities. By deploying the SMAP cable, Equinix continues to empower enterprises with robust, scalable and sustainable connectivity solutions.
