This article takes a close look at SUBCO’s ambitious plan to build APX East, a next-generation subsea “hypercable” that aims to directly connect Australia and the United States. I’ve spent three decades in subsea communications and digital infrastructure, so I want to unpack what makes this project technically interesting, why it matters for future AI-driven demand, and how it just might shake up trans-Pacific connectivity.
APX East: A New Benchmark in Subsea Cable Design
SUBCO’s APX East system is a bold leap in long-haul subsea cable engineering. If SUBCO pulls this off, it’ll create the longest continuous optical path in the world between mainland Australia and the United States.
Unbroken Optical Path Across the Pacific
The heart of APX East is a 16-fibre-pair architecture that gives direct fibre connectivity—no intermediate landings or optical regenerations along the way. Cutting out mid-point infrastructure means less complexity, lower latency, and fewer operational headaches.
With a single, uninterrupted optical span, SUBCO is pitching APX East as a premium route for latency-sensitive and data-heavy workloads.
All-Deepwater Routing and Operational Resilience
One standout feature of APX East is its all-deepwater route. Deepwater systems usually deal with fewer regulatory headaches and stay out of the way of fishing and anchoring.
Single-End Powering in Fault Conditions
SUBCO designed APX East to handle single-end powering if something goes wrong. That cuts down on operational complexity and gives more options for fault recovery, which is a big deal for hyperscale customers who expect high availability.
Lowest-Latency Path Between Australia and the US
Latency is still a huge deal in international connectivity, especially for cloud, finance, and AI workloads. SUBCO says APX East will offer the lowest-latency path between Australia and the US.
Designed for Hyperscalers and Neoclouds
This cable targets hyperscalers, neocloud providers, and international carriers. These customers can just install submarine line terminal equipment (SLTE) at each end and get started.
There’s no need for intermediate points-of-presence, which means less capital spending and a lighter operational load.
Strategic Landings and Geographic Diversity
APX East will land north of Sydney’s current cable protection zone. That’s a conscious move to boost geographic diversity and cut down on risk shared with other planned trans-Pacific hypercables.
Optional Branches for Future Flexibility
The main trunk aims to be ready by Q4 2028, but SUBCO has optional branches to Hawaii and Fiji in the works for 2029. These branches are:
This modular approach lets the main system go live without waiting on secondary routes.
Supporting Australia’s AI-Driven Future
SUBCO CEO Bevan Slattery calls APX East critical national infrastructure. He thinks Australia could build up to 3GW of AI “factories” by 2028, which would drive demand for 100 to 200 terabits of international capacity.
SUBCO’s Growing Subsea Portfolio
SUBCO started up in 2016 and has already poured more than A$750 million into subsea infrastructure.
The company’s portfolio covers the SMAP network and big expansions to the Oman Australia Cable.
They seem committed to building high-capacity, future-ready systems—there’s a clear pattern there.
If APX East comes together as planned, it could seriously shake up trans-Pacific connectivity.
It might even set the stage for Australia’s next digital and AI-driven leap.
Here is the source article for this story: SUBCO plans world’s longest subsea optical path with hypercable connecting Australia and US