A new Australian company has announced plans to deploy a cable system linking Australia, Indonesia and Singapore.
ASSC-1 Communications Group has revealed it will deploy the Australia-Singapore Subsea Cable (also called ASSC-1), a four fiber pair system that will span 4,600km.
The 40G cable will have the capacity to be upgraded to 100G in the future.
Australian incumbent operator Telstra has agreed to purchase one of the four fiber pairs, and to provide landing party services in Perth. In Indonesia, Matrix Cable Systems will supply the Jakarta landing through their own cable landing station.
The cable will be supplied by Huawei Marine Networks, which this week also commenced survey work on a cable between Australia and New Zealand for Axin Marine, the Optikor.
The ASSC-1 is another potential competitor for Southern Cross Cables Network – which operates a cable linking Australia, New Zealand and the US. The operator already slashed its access rates this week, shortly after the Optikor announcement was made.
The company will cut wholesale pricing on the Southern Cross Cable (SXC) by up to 44%, New Zealand's National Business Reviewreported. The cable operator also revealed plans to upgrade to 100G by December.
The SXC is currently the only international cable running out of New Zealand, but the Optikor cable will change that. The cable is also facing steadily growing competition in Australia.