Intelligent Data Centres Issue 36 | Page 59

Equinix providing connectivity hubs for subsea cable between Australia and Middle East

important growth market for Equinix in Australia and a strategic interconnection point into Asia and now MENA thanks to the OAC . We are thrilled to provide our enterprise customers and partners in Australia even greater access to the growing network of global subsea cables , which can give them increased opportunities to expand internationally and compete in today ’ s fast-growing digital economy .”
The only express cable to bring direct and secure connectivity between Australia and Oman via Equinix Perth and Muscat data centres .
Kamel Al-Tawil , Managing Director , Equinix MENA , said : “ Rapid growth of the digital economy has driven increased demand for global connectivity and hybrid multi-cloud solutions in the MENA region . Organisations across various sectors are evaluating their cloud adoption strategies and cloud readiness . At Equinix , we are providing customers direct access to different markets via the best routes . The Equinix Internet Exchange link allows network operators , content providers and enterprises , to leverage a global subsea cable fabric connecting cities , countries and continents together .”
Highlights / Key facts

Equinix has been selected by SUB . CO for the landing of the Oman Australia Cable ( OAC ) directly into its International Business Exchange ( IBX ) data centres in Perth , Australia ( PE2 ) and Muscat , Oman ( MC1 ).

These locations will serve as strategic interconnection points for the 9,800-kilometre subsea cable system .
Perth has rapidly become an important gateway for subsea cables in Australia as the country has continued a period of accelerated Digital Transformation .
It also serves a strategic role as the west coast connectivity point that provides geographic diversity from Sydney and eastern Australia .
Muscat is strategically located between Asia , Africa and Europe , serving as a regional interconnection hub between key global markets and the OAC is expected to further enhance Oman ’ s competitiveness in the global digital economy .
OAC is expected to be completed in Q2 2022 and directly connect Australia with Oman . By providing a direct link between these two countries into Equinix IBX data centres , hyperscalers , enterprise customers and network providers will have access to a dense ecosystem of networks and the lowest latency and most direct path between Australia and onward into Europe .
Guy Danskine , Managing Director , Equinix Australia , said : “ Perth is an
• OAC is a three fibre pair system that will deliver cost-effective , reliable , low-latency and diverse capacity between Australia and Oman . This new route complements the existing networks within Australia and provides additional international bandwidth for an ever-increasing need for highperformance connectivity .
• The dedicated suite of landing station infrastructure in PE2 and MC1 will provide increased security and diverse network entry points for building out OAC ’ s core network . Equinix ’ s global experience in deploying landing stations and PE2 and MC1 ’ s proximity to the Indian Ocean and multiple strategic subsea cable systems were important criteria in the selection process . ◊
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