Equinix - Oman Australia Cable (OAC)

2021: Equinix stretches under water 10 000 km cable between Australia and Oman

At the end of November 2021, the operator data centers Equinix pulled an Internet cable under water between Australia Oman and Oman - he connected data centers companies in Perth and Muscat. A project called Oman Australia Cable (OAC) provided strategic connection points for an underwater cable system with a length of 9.8 thousand km.

The capital of Western Australia, Perth, has become an important gateway for submarine cables in the state. The city also plays a strategic role as a connection point on the west coast. Oman's largest metropolis, Muscat, is located between Asia, Africa and Europe, serving as a regional junction between key global markets. The OAC project will further increase the competitiveness of the city in the global digital economy, according to Equinix.

Equinix stretches 10 000 km cable under water between Australia and the Middle East

The construction of the entire underwater cable system will be completed in the second quarter of 2022. By providing a direct connection between the two countries in Equinix data centers, companies, corporate customers and network providers will have access to a dense ecosystem of networks, as well as the lowest latency and direct path between Australia and further to Europe. This new route complements existing networks domestically and provides additional international capacity for the ever-increasing need for high-performance communications.

The construction of an underwater cable system was very important for us, since this is a new key route to reduce the risks inherent in systems passing from Asia to Europe, the Middle East and Africa through the Strait of Malacca. Collaboration with Equinix is another key component to ensure success in this project, given their global capabilities and flexible approach to their work, "says Sub.Co founder Bevan Slattery.

The complex of infrastructure of landing stations will provide security and various network entry points for the creation of the main network. Equinix's experience in deploying landing stations and proximity to the Indian Ocean and numerous strategic underwater cable systems were important criteria in the location selection process. As of November 2021, 41 Equinix data centers are equipped with underwater cables, when cable systems connect to cloud and content ecosystems on the Equinix platform, customers get access to more than 3 thousand cloud and IT service providers around the world.

According to Kamel Tavila, Equinix's managing director for the Middle East and North Africa, the rapid growth of the digital economy has caused increased demand for global connectivity and hybrid multi-cloud solutions.

Tavil added that Equinix provides customers with direct access to various markets along the best routes, which in turn allows network operators, content providers and various companies to use a global underwater cable network connecting cities, countries and continents.^[1]

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