Superloop subsidiary SubPartners has completed the horizontal directional drilling phase of its seaward facing bore pipe project at Coogee beach in Sydney, which will facilitate the landing of two subsea cables, including INDIGO.
The completion of the 1,900 metre long bore-hole allows SubPartners to insert steel casing pipes over the next few weeks, adding protection for the subsea cable in preparation for the installation of INDIGO, currently schedules for mid-2018.
Superloop and its partners have also initiated a marine survey for INDIGO, which is currently 70% complete, the firm said. The remaining 30% of the survey is along the route running south between Jakarta and Perth, with completion expected before the end of the month.
Manufacturing on the actual cable and repeaters has also commenced at system supplier factories in London and Paris, with over 9,000km of cable and 110 repeaters due to be manufactured over the next six months. Alcatel Submarine Networks entered a system supply deal for the cable in April.
Superllop joined the INDIGO consortium after it acquired all issued shares for SubPartners in a $2.5 million deal announced in April. Other members of the consortium include AARNet, Google, Indosat Ooredoo, Singtel, and Telstra.
The INDIGO cable system will connect Sydney, Perth, Jakarta and Singapore with 36Tbps launch capabilities, with the system expected to go live in 2019.
