Firmus, SUBCO to Build Bernacchi-1 Subsea Fiber Option Connection

Firmus and SUBCO announced a landmark agreement to build a new submarine fiber optic cable connecting Tasmania to mainland Australia, significantly expanding the state's digital capacity and supporting the next generation of AI infrastructure.  

The new cable, to be named Bernacchi-1 in honor of pioneering Tasmanian-raised scientist and Antarctic explorer Louis Bernacchi, will connect Tasmania into SUBCO's SMAP cable system between Sydney and Melbourne.

Underwritten by Firmus, this represents a major private-sector led investment in Tasmania's digital infrastructure, that will be for the benefit of all Tasmanians for generations to come. This investment builds on SUBCO's previous investment in the 5,000km SMAP cable connecting Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.

Bernacchi-1 will be the first new fiber connection between Tasmania and mainland Australia in more than 20 years and will deliver more than 60 terabits per second of additional capacity to the state on day one - more than all existing Bass Strait fiber cables combined.

Branching into SUBCO's new SMAP cable system and landing in Northern Tasmania (subject to finalization of relevant marine and landing permits), Bernacchi-1 provides dual pathways to the mainland once it branches into SMAP - North-West to Melbourne, and North-East to Sydney. The path to Sydney is significant as the first time Tasmania has had a direct connection to New South Wales, from where the majority of Australia's overseas sub-sea cables land.

In addition to over doubling connectivity to the mainland, Bernacchi-1 substantially increases resilience for Tasmania's digital economy, expanded options for Tasmanian consumers, and faster connections to the global internet.

Bernacchi-1 is an example of the dividend for Australia and regional communities of the investment Firmus is making in our Australia-wide AI Factory buildout, Project Southgate. 

SUBCO will build and operate the cable as part of its SMAP cable system which is on track to be ready for service this month (June 2026), with the Tasmanian branch expected to be operational Q2 2027.