SA Techport fibre opens up defence precinct

James Riley
Monday, 27 July 2009 08:32

Your IT - Home IT

The not-for-profit South Australia Broadband Research and Education network (SABREnet) has completed its dark fibre infrastructure extension into Adelaide’s Techport naval industry precinct.

SABREnet chief executive James Tizard said network contruction had been completed and the company was undertaking final testing and sign-off. The first customers – inlcuding the newly established Maritime Skills Centre – are expected to light up the network in the next two months.

The fibre extension was completed in time for defence contractor ASC’s (formerly the Australian Submarine Corporation) start on the Air Warfare Destroyer project. The network will be used to support both the AWD project, as well as Raytheon’s newly created South Australian Engineering Centre.

SABREnet began life as a high-speed infrastructure servicing three Adelaide-based universities and several State government departments, but has grown to connect more than 50 sites – with the Defence sector taking an increased interest in the network.

In addition to the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO), the South Australian Government’s Defence SA unit has underpinned the network roll-out, providing $1.4 million in funding for the Techport roll-out.

Mr Tizard said commercial services would be made available to customers in the Techport area through a long-term infratsructure sharing arrangement with Perth-based telco Amcom. Under the arrangement, Amcom built and manages the SABREnet infrastructure in return for access to agreed bandwidth for resale.

It is not yet clear what will happen to the SABREnet project as the Commonwealth rolls out its National Broadband Network.

Mr Tizard told iTWire that NBN developments were “currently too fluid” to understand the impact of the national network – but that ultimately the Board and the government would have to investigate whether it would make sense to tip its fibre infrastructure into the national build.