Firmus and SUBCO have agreed to build a new submarine fibre optic cable linking Tasmania with mainland Australia. The project will create Tasmania's first new subsea fibre connection in more than 20 years.
The cable, named Bernacchi-1, will connect Tasmania to SUBCO's SMAP cable system between Sydney and Melbourne. It will add more than 60 terabits a second of capacity when it enters service.
The route is expected to land in northern Tasmania, subject to marine and landing permits. Once connected to SMAP, the cable is designed to give Tasmania two paths to the mainland: one towards Melbourne and one towards Sydney.
The Sydney path would be the first direct connection between Tasmania and New South Wales. That is significant because most of Australia's international subsea cables land in New South Wales.
Firmus is underwriting the investment, while SUBCO will build and operate the cable as part of its wider SMAP network. SMAP spans 5,000km and links Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.
Bernacchi-1 is expected to more than double Tasmania's connectivity to the mainland. The new route would also improve network resilience and expand options for consumers in the state.
Infrastructure push
The agreement adds to Firmus's broader buildout under Project Southgate, which it describes as a national rollout of AI-focused data infrastructure across Australia. The companies linked the Tasmania cable project to expected demand from data-intensive computing and AI workloads.
Tim Rosenfield, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Firmus Technologies, outlined the company's view of the investment.
"We're re-wiring Australia's digital infrastructure to make Australia one of the world's largest exporters of AI Tokens," said Tim Rosenfield, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Firmus Technologies.
"Investing in the critical sub-sea connectivity infrastructure required for this task is another example of Firmus leadership as a full-stack AI Factory Platform company," Rosenfield said.
According to SUBCO, the Tasmania branch follows years of efforts to establish another route across Bass Strait. Existing links have long been a strategic issue for the island state because outages can disrupt communications and digital services.
Bevan Slattery, Founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer of SUBCO, described the project as the result of a long-running effort.
"I've been trying to build a new fibre route between Tasmania and the mainland for over a decade to bring much needed diversity, resiliency and cheaper connectivity to Australia and the world. Bernacchi-1 for me is a great example of how Australia can leverage AI to create new sovereign owned infrastructure capability for the benefit of the nation as a whole and this simply would not have happened without Firmus' significant investment and underwriting the long-term operations," said Bevan Slattery, Founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer of SUBCO.
State response
Tasmania Premier Jeremy Rockliff welcomed the investment, framing it as support for the state's digital economy and jobs base. The state government said it would continue working with Firmus on opportunities in Tasmania.
"This significant private investment will strengthen Tasmania's digital future, boosting capacity, resilience and connectivity. The AI revolution is here and Tasmania is in a strong position to benefit from the jobs and infrastructure being delivered as part of this change. Our Government backs business and welcomes private investment, and we look forward to continue working with Firmus on opportunities in our State," said Jeremy Rockliff, Premier of Tasmania.
SUBCO said the main SMAP cable system is on track to be ready for service this month, while the Tasmanian branch is expected to be operational in the second quarter of 2027. The wider SMAP network has been described by the company as Australia's first transcontinental fully armoured submarine cable.
The Bernacchi-1 name honours Louis Bernacchi, the Tasmanian-raised scientist and Antarctic explorer. It was chosen to recognise Tasmania's role in scientific and infrastructure links beyond the island.
For Tasmania, the practical effect of the new cable will be additional bandwidth, a new direct route to Sydney and a second layer of connection diversity across Bass Strait. At launch, the cable's initial capacity is expected to exceed the combined capacity of all existing Bass Strait fibre cables.