Google’s Tabua subsea cable has landed in Queensland, Australia.

Aussie data center operator NextDC last week announced the cable had landed at its station in Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland.

Google first announced plans for the cable in October 2023 as part of its South Pacific Connect initiative to improve the reliability and resilience of digital connectivity in the region.

Tabua, named after a sacred Fijian whale’s tooth, will connect the United States and Australia to Fiji. It is set to launch next year.

The system reportedly features 16 fiber pairs with a minimum design capacity of 17Tbps each. Alongside Google’s upcoming Honomoana cable, it is the first system to link the US to Australia beyond Sydney.

As well as Queensland, the cable is set to land in Los Angeles, California; Oahu, Hawaii; Natadola and Suva, Fiji; and Sydney, Australia. Australian telco Vocus is also a partner on the project.

Google has broken ground on a cable landing station for the project in Fiji.

“The Tabua cable will mean faster, more reliable Internet for locals, businesses and the Pacific,” Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli said. “I’m delighted that Google is now a partner and actively investing in Queensland and more particularly, on the Sunshine Coast. These investments are designed to secure long-term economic growth and digital resilience for the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, and Australia.”

Google’s global infrastructure vice president, Bikash Koley, added: “We appreciate the collaboration with the Sunshine Coast Council and NextDC to enable this new international cable landing, substantially increasing the resilience and diversity of Australia’s connectivity across the Pacific.”

NextDC’s Sunshine Coast data center, SC1, offers 1MW of capacity across 290 sqm of technical space and 84 racks. Originally, the Sunshine Coast International Broadband Cable Landing Station, NextDC bought the facility from the Sunshine Coast Council and relaunched it in late 2021. It is also the landing point for the Japan-Guam-Australia South (JGA South) submarine cable.

“We are excited about the Tabua subsea cable’s arrival in Queensland, reinforcing Sunshine Coast as a vital connectivity gateway in supporting Australia’s digital economy,” NextDC CEO Craig Scroggie said. “Our collaboration with Sunshine Coast Council and Google helps drive NextDC’s strategic expansion by enabling continued investment in the critical infrastructure that supports the cable landing stations which will meet growing demand for resilient connectivity across Australia and the APAC region.”