PPC-1 Update The Story So Far – Pipe
International
Week 15 2008
By Brett Worrall
As I sip my first coffee for the day, the phone rings, it’s Bevan. “What’s the latest?” he asks. Bevan Slattery is my boss and one of the founders of PIPE Networks. At the moment he is like an expectant father awaiting the birth of his first child, PPC-1. “Not much,” I say, when in fact there is an awful lot going on but it is all under control, at least at this time of the morning. PPC-1 is the name of our project and is short for Pipe Pacific Cable -1. With our turnkey supplier Tyco Telecoms commencing the PPC-1 survey this week in Guam this is no time to relax, yet it is opportune to reflect on the progress that has been achieved by the PIPE team to date and to review what’s around the corner. Since the launch of its first peering/IX point in May 2002, PIPE Networks is now recognised as Australia’s largest peering provider and operates 16 IX points in 6 cities with over 130 active connections. A logical growth path was to enter into the international wholesale market and with the signing of a MOU with VSNL (now Tata) in December 2006, we were set on a path to expand on the already successful PIPE Networks business model and PIPE International was created with a mandate to build a trail blazing new international cable named PPC-1. Overview PPC-1 is a two fibre pair, 1.92Tbs trunk and spur system, that connects Sydney to Guam via the waters of Papua New Guinea. Figure 1 shows the route of PPC-1.
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Guam is an ideal location to land PPC -1 as it forms a logical interconnection point for current and future cables. Since Guam is already a major international communications gateway it provides our customers with a multitude of onward connectivity and cross connect options. The PPC-1 system has four
Figure 1 Route of PPC-1
branching units that allow for Day 1 and Day N connection to the system. In a first since the 1960’s, PPC-1 will be the first ‘new’ cable to land in PNG. PNG has recently re-deployed the retired Pacrim West cable (dubbed APNG2) into Port Moresby. PPC-1 will provide much needed cable diversity to APNG2, at the same time will provide domestic connectivity options for Papua New Guinea via connections to Madang and in the future to Port Moresby. Telikom PNG is an important customer and partner of PIPE International. With our partner Tata Communications, we are offering wholesale capacity services between Australia- Guam and onward destinations as shown in the following table. Key to the