Google and Telstra have announced a new fiber partnership in Australia.

The companies announced this week a partnership to “enhance the reach, reliability, resilience, and security” of Australia and the Asia-Pacific region’s digital infrastructure.

As part of the deal, Telstra will lease capacity on Google’s Tabua, Proa, and Bulikula subsea cable systems.

Google, in turn, will secure inter-city dark fiber capacity on Telstra’s new Aura Network fiber backbone.

The companies said the partnership will enhance Google’s AI capabilities in Australia and give Telstra diverse and secure subsea pathways to Japan, the Pacific Islands, and the United States.

“Building digital infrastructure capable of supporting the next wave of AI innovation requires deep collaboration and robust physical networks,” said Bikash Koley, VP, global infrastructure, Google. “This partnership brings together Google’s global subsea capabilities and network innovations and Telstra’s terrestrial reach to ensure Australians have the secure, high-capacity, and resilient digital services they require to compete globally.”

Google has two cloud regions in Australia, located in Sydney and Melbourne. They opened in 2017 and 2021, respectively.

The company has invested in some 30 subsea cables in the past 15 years, more than any other hyperscaler, both privately and as part of multi-party consortia. Its subsea projects criss-cross the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, with many landing on small island nations that have historically lacked major cable investment.

The search giant is developing multiple cable landing stations and “connectivity hubs” across a number of island locations in the Pacific and around Oceania to support its network build-out.

“This partnership is about enhancing our national capability and ensuring that Australia remains seamlessly connected to the global economy," added 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 (4,970 miles) 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.”

Previously known as the Intercity Fibre Network, Telstra’s Aura Network is a long-distance, high-capacity city-to-city fiber system. Featuring 14,000 km (8,699 miles) of new fiber, it is set to link Perth, Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra, Darwin, and Brisbane. The Sydney to Melbourne coastal route launched in October 2025.

The dual cable system includes an express system for direct high-capacity connections between cities for data centers and cable landing stations, and a foundational system to provide connectivity to regional communities via more than 2,000 on- and off-ramps.