View source for Pipe Pacific Cable

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2013}}
{{Infobox cable
| cable_name             = Pipe Pacific Cable (PPC-1)
| cable_logo             = 
| cable_type             = Fibre-optic
| fate                   = Active
| predecessor            = 
| successor              = 
| construction_beginning = 
| construction_finished  = 
| first_traffic          = August 2009
| design_capacity        = 2.56&nbsp;Tbit/s
| lit_capacity           = 
| built_by               = Tyco Telecom
| defunct                = 
| landings               = [[Cromer, New South Wales]], Australia<br />[[Madang]], [[Papua New Guinea]]<br/>[[Piti, Guam]]
| area_served            = Asia-Pacific
| owner                  = PIPE International (subsidiary of PIPE Networks)
| homepage               = [http://www.pipeinternational.com/ PIPE International]
| footnotes              = 
}}
'''PIPE Pacific Cable''' (PPC-1) is a {{nowrap|6,900 km}} [[submarine communications cable|submarine cable]] laid by [[PIPE Networks]]. It runs from [[Cromer, New South Wales]], in [[Australia]], to [[Piti, Guam|Piti]], [[Guam]].<ref>{{cite web | title = What is PPC-1? | url = http://www.pipeinternational.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5&Itemid=45 | publisher = [[Pipe International]] | date = 2009-09-22 | access-date = 25 June 2009 | archive-date = 6 May 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080506154207/http://www.pipeinternational.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5&Itemid=45 | url-status = dead }}</ref>

It resulted in huge international [[Backhaul (telecommunications)|backhaul]] cost savings to Australian customers, for access to the US internet backbone,<ref>[http://michaelwyres.com/2008/01/more-bandwidth-for-australia/ More Bandwidth for Australia]</ref> quoting up to "50% savings" versus existing cable operators.<ref>[http://www.australianit.com.au/story/0,,23054557-5013040,00.html ISPs Get Slice of Guam Cable]</ref>

==Capacity==
Quoting directly from PIPE International's PPC-1's Blog, substantial capacity will be available on the submarine cable network:<ref>[http://www.pipeinternational.com/index.php?option=com_myblog&show=Welcome-To-Pipe-International.html&Itemid=65 Welcome to the PPC-1 Blog]</ref>

<blockquote>"PPC-1 will be configured primarily as a two optic-fibre pair system however it will include up to an additional 4 optic fibre pairs providing the potential to install spurs extending to a number of strategic locations within and outside of Australia. The main backbone will be laid in deep water with landings in Sydney, Australia and Piti, Guam. The main segment of the network will cover approximately 6,500&nbsp;km. It will use the latest submarine wave division multiplexing to provide up to 96x10&nbsp;Gbps wavelengths on each fibre pair, producing a total of 1.92 Terabits of capacity."</blockquote>

During the official launch, PIPE Network's CEO [[Bevan Slattery]] said the new cable would now deliver speeds at an even greater capacity than originally planned, 2.56 terabits per second in total.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.itnews.com.au/News/157753,ppc-1-delivers-more-speed-than-expected.aspx |title=PPC-1 delivers more speed than expected |date=8 October 2009 |first=Ben |last=Grubb |work=iTnews }}</ref>

In September 2012, an upgrade was announced that would take the capacity available on the cable past the original design capacity of 2.56 terabits per second, to around 3 terabits per second.<ref>{{cite news | title = Pipe goes for 100 Gbps on PPC-1 subsea cable | url = http://www.itnews.com.au/News/314653,pipe-goes-for-100-gbps-on-ppc-1-subsea-cable.aspx | work = iTnews | date = 2012-09-07 }}</ref>

==Construction==
Submarine cable laying commenced at the end of April 2009. The Guam to Papua New Guinea segment of the cable was completed in May 2009, with the ship [[Tyco Durable]]<ref>{{cite web | title = What is happening with the Tyco Durable? (Part 2) | url = http://www.pipeinternational.com/index.php?option=com_myblog&show=What-is-happening-with-the-Tyco-Durable-Part-2-.html&Itemid=53 | publisher = [[Pipe International]] | date = 2009-06-24 }}</ref> commencing on the 4 segments from Sydney to Papua New Guinea.

In June 2009, most cabling work south of Brisbane was completed,<ref>{{cite web | title = Bevan's Speech at the Australian PPC-1 Landing | url = http://www.pipeinternational.com/index.php?option=com_myblog&show=Bevans-Speech-at-the-Australian-PPC-1-Landing.html&Itemid=53 | publisher = [[Pipe International]] | date = 2009-05-30 }}</ref> leaving two cable segments—from BU2 (Branching Unit) near Brisbane up to BU4 near Madang<ref>{{cite web | title = Geography | url = http://www.pipeinternational.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10&Itemid=48 | publisher = [[Pipe International]] | accessdate = 2009-06-25 }}</ref> &ndash; to be laid before commissioning.

On 23 August 2009 the first light signal was transmitted over the completed cable from Sydney to Guam.<ref>{{cite web | title = NEWSFLASH: PPC-1 successfully transmits first light between Sydney and Guam! (blog) | url = http://www.pipeinternational.com/index.php?option=com_myblog&show=Final-Splice-Completed.html&Itemid=53 | publisher = [[Pipe International]] | accessdate = 2009-08-24 }}</ref> This marked the completion of the submarine cabling work, and testing of the system began.

On 22 September 2009, Internode released a press release claiming successful transmission of [[Internet Protocol|IP]] packets across the cable, making it the first commercial entity to make use of the cable.<ref>{{cite web | title = Internode gives thumbs-up to PIPE's PPC-1 link | url= http://www.internode.on.net/news/2009/09/151.php |publisher = [[Internode Systems]] | accessdate = 2009-09-22 }}</ref>

The project was formally completed on 8 October 2009.<ref>{{cite web | title = Countdown to 8th October: What Happens Next? (blog) | url = http://www.pipeinternational.com/index.php?option=com_myblog&show=Countdown-to-8th-October-What-Happens-Next-.html&Itemid=53 | publisher = [[Pipe International]] | accessdate = 2009-08-24 }}</ref>

==Cable landing points==
The cable runs from Sydney to Guam. The [[cable landing point]]s are:

*[[Cromer, New South Wales]], Australia
*[[Madang]], Papua New Guinea<ref>{{cite web | title = Geography | url = http://www.pipeinternational.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10&Itemid=48 | publisher = [[Pipe International]] | accessdate = 2009-06-25 }}</ref>
*[[Piti, Guam|Piti]], Guam

==Financial Realignment==
On 19 December 2008, it was reported that a "realignment of payments" was organised between PIPE, its PPC-1 customers, and [[Tyco Telecom]], the primary contractor on the project. Some saw this as PPC-1 striking financial difficulties, however the timing of payments were realigned to allow Tyco to continue the work with respect to meeting the construction deadline of July 2009.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,24823349-15306,00.html |title=Pipe Patches Up Financing For Submarine Cable |access-date=19 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220072542/http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,24823349-15306,00.html |archive-date=20 December 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> PIPE delivered a media release confirming this realignment, and the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Tyco Telecom, and a key customer, to secure the financial go-ahead for the project.<ref>[http://www.pipeinternational.com/index.php?option=com_myblog&show=Media-Release---PPC-1-to-proceed-as-scheduled.html&Itemid=28 PPC-1 To Proceed As Scheduled]</ref> It confirmed that:

<blockquote>"On 1 December 2008 PIPE Networks announced that given the unacceptable delays in the credit approval process, the Board of PPC-1 (Bermuda) Ltd had decided to withdraw from proposed arrangements with those financiers."

Mr Roger Clarke, Chairman of PIPE Networks said "It is a testament to the commercial potential and importance of the project that an alternative agreement could be reached that sidestepped the debt markets for primary project financing. I congratulate the team who have been working tirelessly over the past three weeks to bring about this outstanding outcome."<ref>[http://www.pipeinternational.com/images/MediaReleases/asx_08_12_19_ppc1%20to%20proceed%20as%20scheduled.pdf Full Media Release: PPC-1 To Proceed As Scheduled]</ref></blockquote>

==See also==
* [[PIPE Networks]]
* Other Australian international submarine cables (and year of first service):
** [[Telstra Endeavour]] (2008)
** [[Australia–Japan Cable]] (2001)
** [[Southern Cross Cable]] (2000)
** [[SEA-ME-WE 3]] (2000, Australian portion in service earlier)
** [[JASURAUS]] (1997) – now retired
** [[PacRimWest]] (1995) – now retired

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.pipeinternational.com/ Pipe International]
** [http://www.pipeinternational.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5&Itemid=45 Overview] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080506154207/http://www.pipeinternational.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5&Itemid=45 |date=6 May 2008 }}
** [http://www.pipeinternational.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10&Itemid=48 Geography of Cable Route (inc. Map)]
** [http://www.pipeinternational.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=22&Itemid=66 Progress Report]
* [http://www.pipenetworks.com/ Pipe Networks] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930114801/http://www.pipenetworks.com/ |date=30 September 2011 }}

{{Submarine communications cables in the Pacific Ocean}}
{{Australia–United States relations}}

[[Category:Submarine communications cables in the Pacific Ocean]]
[[Category:Telecommunications in Australia]]
[[Category:Australia–Papua New Guinea relations]]
[[Category:Australia–United States relations]]
[[Category:Papua New Guinea–United States relations]]
[[Category:2009 establishments in Australia]]
[[Category:2009 establishments in Guam]]
[[Category:2009 establishments in Papua New Guinea]]