Bevan Slattery proposes 10,000 terabit-per-second HyperOne network

Australian businesses will get a digital superhighway boasting speeds 10 billion times faster than the NBN under tech entrepreneur’s new plan.

Aussie tech entrepreneur Bevan Slattery is keen to get the nation on a digital superhighway. Pic Mark Cranitch

Australian tech entrepreneur Bevan Slattery wants to build a new $1.5bn digital superhighway, boasting speeds 10 billion times faster than NBN’s top offering and providing a ‘safe’ geopolitical communications channel for local and international businesses.

Named HyperOne, the proposed hyperscale 10,000-terabits-per-second network includes laying optical fibre in the ground across 20,000 kms, connecting capital cities in every state and territory for the first time.

The network will be designed for use by businesses that need heavy data movement, for instance, major cloud and data services providers like Amazon, Google and Facebook, but also telcos, defence companies and other satellite businesses.

It will also provide transmission to local distribution networks such as the National Broadband Network and mobile operators.

Adelaide will be a major beneficiary, becoming the most connected city nationally with direct links to Perth, Melbourne, Darwin and Sydney.

Both South Australia and Northern Territory are expected to attract investors keen to take advantage of high-speed digital connectivity.

More than 10,000 jobs are likely to be created during construction phase, which is expected to begin in the first quarter of next year and be completed by 2025, subjected to funding.

A serial entrepreneur from Queensland, Mr Slattery has been a founder of a number of successful IT and telco businesses over nearly 20 years, including fibre optic business PIPE Networks, now owned by TPG, and data centre business NEXTDC.

“HyperOne is big, bold and way overdue,” Mr Slattery said on Wednesday.

“We need to build it and the users will come.

“These will be from our future industries, but also the overseas businesses that are looking at alternate routes away from the South China Sea.

“HyperOne will create new major interconnection points for more international undersea cables into Australia from Asia and as far as the Americas and Antarctica.

“With the current geopolitical instability in the region there is unprecedented opportunity for Australia to become the region’s’ leading, secure and stable hub for future industries and jobs.”

Mr Slattery’s business interests also include building undersea cables, which transport 95 per cent of all internet data around the world. HyperOne comes close on the heels of his newly-built Melbourne-Perth undersea cable and ongoing Perth to Oman build, while NT also has two undersea cable proposals in the pipeline.

HyperOne is expected to deliver more capacity than every other national network ever built in the country.

Minister for Communications Paul Fletcher. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gary Ramage

Federal Government Communications Minister Paul Fletcher welcomed plans for a “very significant investment” in a new backbone fibre optic transmission network across Australia.

“HyperOne’s planned network would deliver a major boost in data transmission capacity into many cities and towns across Australia, which in turn would open up new economic opportunities, support new industries and generate jobs.”

HyperOne has been registered as a stand-alone entity owned by Mr Slattery, who also has a family holding company Capitalb and interests in several other businesses, including ASX-listed Superloop, which has a call centre in Adelaide, and Megaport.

SA Premier Steven Marshall said HyperOne means jobs for South Australians.

“Not only do we already have a huge contingent of high-tech companies working out of Lot Fourteen – we expect to see even more companies base their headquarters here to take advantage of Adelaide’s unique position in this new network.

“This iconic project supports my government’s strong economic plan to invest in new jobs in future industries including space, cybersecurity, defence and agritech.

Northern Territory chief minister Michael Gunner said the network will make Darwin the key point of digital interconnect between South East Asia and the east coast.

“We will be the digital entrance for the rest of Asia into Australia, and we are ready to roll out the red carpet.”

Mr Slattery is looking for private investors but will also be seeking funding support through the Federal Government’s Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility and from state governments.