Telstra and Google have joined forces in a push to ramp up the reach, reliability, resilience, and security of Australia and the Asia-Pacific region’s digital infrastructure.

Jointly announced by Bikash Koley, Vice President, Global Infrastructure, Google, and Steven Worrall, CEO, Telstra Digital Infrastructure, the firms said the partnership was aimed at delivering faster, more secure connectivity for Australians by enabling terrestrial fiber and subsea network integration to enhance national connectivity and unlock new opportunities for the AI era.

“This partnership is about enhancing our national capability and ensuring that Australia remains seamlessly connected to the global economy,” said Steven Worrall, CEO, Telstra Digital Infrastructure. “The Aura Network is the backbone of Australia’s digital future; connectivity is its lifeblood. With more than 8,000 kilometers already laid across the country and the launch of the Melbourne-Canberra-Sydney coastal routes late last year, the Aura rollout is gathering significant momentum. By also securing fiber pairs along high-demand global routes, Telstra is building resilient, secure, and scalable infrastructure that will power the next industrial revolution in a way that supports sustainable, disciplined growth in the long term.”

Specific to terrestrial and subsea connections, Google and Telstra will deliver resilient and secure connectivity across Australia, including:

• Terrestrial fiber infrastructure: Google will secure inter-city dark fiber capacity on Telstra’s new fiber backbone, the Aura Network. By unlocking new opportunities along some of Australia’s key connectivity corridors, this capacity gives more Australian households and businesses the opportunity to connect faster and more securely with the rest of the world.
• Subsea network integration: Telstra will access Google’s Pacific Connect and Australia Connect initiatives to use subsea fiber pairs on the Tabua, Proa, and Bulikula subsea cable systems. These systems provide Australia with vital connectivity links to Japan, the Pacific Islands, and the United States, reinforcing Australia’s potential as a regional connectivity hub.
• Robust security and resilience: By integrating terrestrial and subsea routes, Telstra and Google will each remove single points of network failure, helping to ensure continuous, secure data flows.

Google said it selected Telstra and the Aura Network for the partnership to further advance Google’s AI capabilities in Australia. “Building digital infrastructure capable of supporting the next wave of AI innovation requires deep collaboration and robust physical networks,” said Koley.