Bevan Slattery’s $1.5bn broadband project HyperOne to start construction in 2021

Bevan Slattery’s ambitious $1.5bn broadband infrastructure project has received a vital approval en route to turbocharging Australia’s internet capabilities.

HyperOne founder Bevan Slattery, Evan Kilpatrick Chief investment officer, Kate Jones, Fortitude Valley, Tuesday February 16th 2021 – Photo Steve Pohlner

Serial tech entrepreneur and rich-lister Bevan Slattery’s $1.5 billion broadband infrastructure project HyperOne has successfully completed stage 1 of Northern Australia Infrastructure Fund (NAIF) assessment and approval process, passing a vital milestone in its mission to supercharge Australia’s internet capabilities.

Mr Slattery said HyperOne had finished the Initial Review phase of the NAIF process and had now entered the due diligence stage for the 20,000-plus kilometre network that he said would create more than 10,000 new jobs during construction, and provide speeds 10 billion times faster than the NBN‘s top offering.

As first revealed by The Australian, the proposed hyperscale 10,000-terabits-a-second network will involve connecting capital cities with fibre in every state and territory for the first time, and will be designed for use by businesses that need heavy data movement, including Amazon, Google and Facebook, but also telcos, defence companies and other satellite businesses.

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

Mr Slattery said the project included significant investment in the north of Australia and more than 1000 “on-ramps” in regional and remote areas across the country to provide access to communities that are under-served in terms of digital access, making it an appropriate candidate for NAIF funding and also to address broader concerns around the digital divide.

“This is a project that will help break down the digital divide between the major cities and regional and rural Australia, including our isolated and Indigenous communities,” he said.

Bevan Slattery is a serial broadband entrepreneur.

“The lack of access to high-speed, reliable digital infrastructure is holding back the development of new industries and jobs in regional areas – that will change with HyperOne.”

“It will also create jobs across the country, especially in regional areas, which is critical as the economy recovers from the disruptions caused by Covid-19.”

Mr Slattery revealed that the project was now in the final stages of route planning and design.

“We have assembled some of this country’s most experienced route designers who have been working tirelessly to develop a route that delivers on Australia’s data backbone needs for the next 30 years. Our community and industry engagement has been invaluable and will only continue as we move the project forward. ” he said.

“We are on track to start construction before the end of the year and expect the entire project to be built within three years.”

HyperOne senior executive and former Queensland minister Kate Jones said HyperOne was critical to the future prosperity of the nation, supporting thousands of new Australian jobs.

“HyperOne is a once in a lifetime opportunity for Australia to deliver a platform that will enable our country’s economic future,” Ms Jones said.

“A data tsunami is on its way. Without this critical infrastructure Australia risks being left high and dry.”