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Businesses in Australia’s Midwest will soon benefit from a 2000-kilometre fibreoptic cable running up to the Pilbara, which is set to deliver metro-grade internet connectivity to the entire region.
Known as Project Horizon, the cable has been designed by Vocus with cyclones, bushfires and other extreme weather conditions in mind, using multiple cable paths buried deep below ground.
In addition to higher bandwidth, the cable will give customers more communication options, allowing them to plan and expand their business operations with greater confidence.
Vocus Interim Chief Network Officer Matt Walsh says the cable will be a lifeline for mining, agriculture, and renewable energy projects, many of which depend on continuous data flows.
“We’re not just talking uninterrupted FaceTime or Netflix. We’re talking critical safety and logistical systems, remote operations, and so on. In these contexts, it’s not just a nice-to-have, it’s an imperative to keep business and services operating.
“So, we are delighted to be supplying these operations with more bandwidth, but also more resilience – something that is often left out of the conversation.”
A growing need
While businesses throughout the Midwest have strong growth potential, the need for metro-grade connectivity is evident, as more businesses look to deploy connected devices and automation to scale their operations.
In 2024, 29 percent of Western Australian businesses had adopted automation, with mining and agriculture – both prominent Midwest trades – dominating the statistics.
However, Walsh said it isn’t just automation driving the need for connectivity.
Equally, he is seeing appetite from public services, as the region’s expansion spikes demand for government services.
“Connectivity underpins everything from emergency responses, service delivery and regional resilience,” he said.
“We need diverse and resilient infrastructure to reduce the likelihood that a single incident can cut off whole communities or services.
“Whether that is a port or transport corridor – both of which are vital pathways to the region – or things like health services, education, utilities, and digital infrastructure. All of these are now just as important as power and water.”
Navigating logistical hurdles
While the project’s rationale may be straightforward, the pathway to get there has, at times, been less so, Walsh admits.
Building through some of Australia’s most remote and challenging terrain has required persistence and lots of prior planning.
This is despite Vocus’ long history working throughout regional WA, during which it has built an extensive network connecting the likes of Kalgoorlie and Port Hedland with the broader state.
“It has taken early and transparent engagement with the communities, so that people understand what’s actually being built and support the network construction,” he said.
“We’ve also had to engage extensively with local government and authorities – like Main Roads, the Department of Planning, Land and Heritage, Department of Water & Environment – to make sure we understand the local conditions.
“It’s quite different to building a network in the sandy coastal plains of Perth versus that of the Midwest and then up into the Pilbara.”
Because of this, building Project Horizon has, at times, felt like a masterclass in engineering and construction, Walsh said – the key takeaway being that strategic relationships are paramount.
“There have been many lessons learned and a lot of it has come down to relationships – leaning on local expertise and being able to work with the right people to get a result.
“I’m based in Perth, so if I’ve got a challenge, I don’t need to jump on a plane from Sydney or Melbourne and then go and plead my case to someone within WA government. I can literally hang up from a project call where an issue is flagged and go and get a meeting with ministerial officers right here in Perth, 5 minutes away. It’s those local relationships that make a difference.
“Making sure you’ve got the right relationships, along with transparent and early engagement will really be the determining factor on whether or not a project succeeds.”
Further insight
Sharing more on Project Horizon, Matt Walsh will present at the upcoming Midwest Major Projects Conference, hosted by Informa.
This year’s event – held 29-30 April at the Novotel Perth – will explore developments in the investment and project development scene.
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