Subco’s APX Cable: A Strategic Asset for Australia’s Digital Future

B. Swan

Summary Bullets:

• SubCo will establish a trans-pacific submarine cable project dubbed ‘APX East’ that will directly connect Australia with mainland US.

• While Australia already has sovereign owned cables, it’s crucial that this type of infrastructure remains in domestic ownership to ensure data sovereignty is met.

Over the last few years, international connectivity strategies have largely been driven by scale – favoring bigger pipes, alternative routes, and the assumption that capacity would keep pace with demand. However, with the rise in data traffic contributed by AI, data-intensive workloads, and diminishing tolerance for outages, this is forcing carriers to rethink how international networks are designed and evaluated.

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Challenger Rises: Vocus Targets Enterprise Mobile in Australia

B. Swan

Summary Bullets:

  • Vocus has launched its business-focused MVNO brand, Vocus Mobile, aiming to disrupt the market and inject fresh competition into an already hypercompetitive landscape.
  • Backed by an expanded customer base from the TPG Enterprise acquisition, Vocus is well-positioned to accelerate growth with its existing client base.

Australian telecoms infrastructure provider Vocus has finally launched its own business-focused MVNO brand, Vocus Mobile. Leveraging Optus’s 4G and 5G networks the company aims to position itself as a one-stop provider for enterprise communications, offering connectivity solutions across networking, collaboration, and now mobility as it looks to stand out with a range of self-serve features to create a better user experience for its clients. Will the entrance of another MVNO challenger selling basic mobile connectivity in an already crowded market make a difference?

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Tata Communications and Amazon Web Services to Build AI Network in India, as More Telcos Look to Deploy AI-ready Infrastructure

B. Swan

Summary Bullets:

• Tata Communications will collaborate with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to build a high-capacity network connecting three major AWS infrastructure locations in Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Chennai.

• In a growing trend, more telecom providers are building high-capacity terrestrial networks to meet the growing demand in bandwidth contributed by the rise in artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud.

Tata Communications has announced a new partnership with AWS to build and deploy a high-capacity national terrestrial network backbone, making a significant move in transforming the country’s digital infrastructure evolution. This strategic collaboration between the two supports the continued rise in demand for data-intensive workloads driven by AI and cloud adoption. In what is becoming an increasing trend among global telecom operators, with more carriers investing substantial funds to expand, or upgrade their terrestrial networks to meet future data traffic demands, contributed by data-hungry workloads such as AI/ML, while future-proofing their networks to meet the requirements of their hyperscalers and enterprise customers.

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Vocus Doubles Down on Space Connectivity with Telesat and StarLink Upgrade

B. Swan

Vocus, an Australian fiber and technology solutions provider, has doubled down on its focus of providing satellite services to its enterprise and government customers to bridge the connectivity void across the country. The carrier has made multiple announcements over the last week, announcing it has partnered with Canadian satellite operator, Telesat, to launch LEO satellite services in Australia and expand its capabilities with StarLink, which will see the carrier add Layer 2 integration to extend secure private networks in remote locations. Will this announcement from the carrier finally put an end to poor connectivity and transform remote connectivity for enterprises in regional Australia?

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Aussie Broadband Unveils ‘Look to 28’ Strategy, Eyeing Growth in the SMB and Enterprise Market

B. Swan

Summary Bullets:

  • Aussie Broadband has set itself a very ambitious growth target in a market that continues to be hypercompetitive and has further consolidation ahead.
  • Changes in technological advancements, the rise of cloud, and commoditization of connectivity has contributed to Australian enterprise segment consolidation over recent years.

Australia’s Aussie Broadband has unveiled its ‘Look to 28’ strategy at its investor day, outlining its bold vision for the company’s growth and diversification over the next three years. Aussie’s strategy is focused on improving its operational efficiency, growth, strategic investments, and disciplined capital management. It is underpinned by a six-pillar technology plan, emphasizing security, transformation, and innovation. The company has set an ambitious growth target, which will see it strive to see revenue growth of 35% through 2028 to AUD1.6 billion ($1 billion). While this announcement from Aussie Broadband is ambitious, the company should be ready to expect to experience some headwinds as the Australian telecommunications market continues to be competitive and with further consolidation on the horizon in the business, enterprise, and government segments in the near-term.

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Zayo Eyes AI Growth with Crown Castles Fiber Business Acquisition

B. Swan

Summary Bullets:

  • Zayo has snapped up Crown Castles fiber business for $4.25 billion. The company will add 90,000 of fiber miles to its network, increasing its reach to more than 70,000 on-net locations.
  • The acquisition boosts Zayo fiber infrastructure capabilities to support its growth in artificial intelligence (AI), while allowing Crown Castles to focus on its tower business.

Zayo Group, backed by two capital investment firms, DigitalBridge and EQT, has struck a deal with Crown Castle to acquire the company’s fiber solutions business for $4.25 billion. The acquisition will bolster Zayo’s capabilities in wavelength services, helping the company execute its strategic focus on investing in the critical fiber infrastructure to support the growth of AI data traffic across the US. The Crown Castle metro-focused assets will significantly improve Zayo’s long-haul network coverage, adding 44,000 on-net buildings, 40,000 towers, and 1,100 data centers, points of presence (PoPs), and central offices. This acquisition will strengthen Zayo’s ability to deliver reliable, low-latency, high-capacity fiber solutions to businesses and service providers as the demand for cloud and AI-driven connectivity continues to rise. With the US fiber market being hypercompetitive, network connectivity providers must review their fiber network infrastructure to ensure they can support the increased demand for bandwidth and capacity to compete in an AI-driven market.

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MWC 2025: Orange Wholesale to Enable Mobile Operators with 5G Core NaaS

B. Swan

Summary Bullets:

  • Orange Wholesale launched a 5G core network-as-a-service (CNaaS) solution. The service enables mobile operators to deploy 5G standalone from cloud infrastructure, redefining mobile connectivity.
  • Orange Wholesale provides operators with end-to-end support, including network and infrastructure management as well as software developments taking care of all the updates, security, and compliance issues.

Orange Wholesale launches its 5G CNaaS solution as the carrier looks to redefine next-generation mobile connectivity. The new 5G core solution is fully hosted and managed, allowing mobile operators the ability to deploy their own 5G standalone infrastructure within minutes using a cloud-based architecture without the need to invest in or maintain their own core network infrastructure. Orange Wholesale has also added a range of in-built features that include IPX connectivity, secure roaming, real-time SS7/LTE/5G standalone (5G SA) signaling, traffic visibility, and big data analytics for network optimization. Aligning with industry trends toward digitalization, Orange has integrated the solution into its digital service platform, Orange Click, making it easier for wholesale customers to order, monitor, and manage their connectivity solutions. While 5G standalone is in its infancy and has yet to bring many of these benefits, carriers should adopt this “as-a-service” model to capitalize on their 5G investment.

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Project Waterworth: Meta’s New Cable Will Bring Disruption to the Wholesale Telecom Market

B. Swan

Summary Bullets:

  • Meta has announced it will build a 50,000km subsea cable connecting five major continents, including the United States, Brazil, South Africa, and India.
  • Project Waterworth is likely to cause further disruption for wholesale operators as the company looks to dominate global internet connectivity.

Meta announced it will build the world’s longest and highest capacity subsea cable system spanning over 50,000km (31,000 miles), connecting Brazil, India, the US, South Africa and other regions. The new venture, dubbed Project Waterworth, is expected to enhance global connectivity and bring Meta significant opportunities in the AI space, particularly in the Indian market, along with new economic growth for the countries associated with the project. The proposed network will use 24 fiber pairs, which will boost data capacity and internet speed across connected regions and will be laid at depths of up to 7,000 meters (23,000 feet) to avoid damage from ship anchors and other hazards, while evading any high-risk geopolitical regions. This announcement from Meta could also play a role in the expansion of cloud computing, data centers, and other emerging AI-driven advancements. Project Waterworth is likely to cause further disruption for wholesale operators as the company looks to dominate global connectivity.

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TIM Offloads Sparkle as the Italian Government Looks to Keep Ownership in a 70% “Strategic” Stake

B. Swan

Summary Bullets:

• Telecom Italia has divested Sparkle, its international infrastructure and services unit, in an EUR700 million ($733 million) deal as the carrier looks to reduce debt and focus on its core business.

• Italy’s Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) will have majority control of the business with 70% of the company, with the remaining 30% share owned by Retelit, a subsidiary of Spanish infrastructure fund Asterion.

Telecom Italia has finally offloaded its international infrastructure and services unit Sparkle to the Italian MEF in an EUR700 million ($733 million) partnership deal with Retelit, a fiber-optic operator controlled by Spanish Infrastructure fund Asterion. Sparkle operates more than 600,000 km of cables that connect countries across Europe and the Americas. Telecom Italia’s board unanimously approved the deal, which was first put forward as a non-binding offer in October 2024 but was rejected by the board. The sale is expected to be completed within Q1 2026, subject to regulatory approvals.

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e& Carrier & Wholesale Expands Reach with Strategic Hubs

B. Swan

Summary Bullets:

  • e& Carrier and Wholesale (C&WS) will expand global reach by establishing two new hubs in Miami, Florida (US) and Johannesburg (South Africa), while strengthening existing operations in London (England) and Singapore.
  • The expansion will enable e& C&WS to support international partners while forging new alliances and unlocking new opportunities across the Americas and Africa.

E& C&WS, the international wholesale arm of e&, has cemented its position as a major global connectivity provider and will expand its international presence as part of its global expansion strategy. The carrier will establish two new strategic hubs in Miami and Johannesburg while strengthening its existing European and Asia-Pacific hubs located in London and Singapore. The carrier looking to expand its presence across high-growth regions within the Americas and Africa. While this is a bold move by e&, can it be successful in an already crowded and hyper-competitive global market?

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