MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS ANIKA WELLS: Thank you, Vicki Brady, for the introduction. 

I’d like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which we’ve gathered today. I pay my respects to their leaders, past, present and emerging, and I extend that respect to any First Nations people with us today. I'd like to acknowledge elder Mr Allan Murray. And I’d also like to acknowledge Steven Worrall – the CEO of Telstra’s InfraCo.

Today is a big day. 

It marks a massive change for data transmission across our nation. Thanks to Telstra’s Aura Network, our two biggest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, will have new high-speed fibre connectivity. To everyone involved in this landmark project – congratulations. This project will make higher speeds, greater data capacity and lower lag-times a reality for millions of Australians who use the internet to work, to shop, to do business and to access education and healthcare. And it’s just the first stage of boosting connectivity between Australia’s cities, our regions and global networks, through better integration with international submarine cables and satellite ground stations.

It is critical that a country as vast as Australia prioritises connectivity, which is why I am particularly excited about the benefits this project will bring for our regions. The ability for Aura’s foundation path to have ‘on and off’ ramps into regional and remote communities will create real opportunities for economic development, education and healthcare.

Connectivity is crucial in a country as vast as Australia which is why we continue to invest in the Government owned NBN to upgrade premises currently using outdated fibre-to-the node fixed-line technology to faster, more reliable broadband. 

We also work directly with telcos like Telstra to improve coverage throughout Australia in a range of ways like through the Mobile Black Spot Program.

Connectivity is not a nice to have – it’s a necessity - and new technology like the Aura Network provides an amazing opportunity to ensure more people have better access to services.

Looking at the economy more broadly, projects such as the Aura Network are helping to deliver the free-flowing digital highways of the future. These highways provide the main links between big cities and off-ramps to the regions and are key to Australia’s future productivity. They are necessary to respond to technological changes, such as AI.

The Treasurer’s recent Economic Reform Roundtable identified AI as a national priority. Our focus is on ensuring that Australia can capture all of AI’s benefits while mitigating the risks. And that our digital infrastructure is ready, resilient and reliable for the businesses, the industries and the consumers that rely on it. 

There are new opportunities in the digital economy – new industries and new markets that Australia is well-positioned to take advantage of. The data centre market, for example, is rapidly expanding off the back of surging digital activity, AI and increased cloud services. And Australia is emerging as a global hub for data centre investment in the Asia-Pacific. Major global and local companies are now investing heavily in data centre infrastructure. 

Capacity is projected to more than double before 2030, and demand is expected only to grow as we adopt new AI tools and workloads. Industry investment is a vital component for connectivity in Australia. 

Quantum Technology is another area with significant potential. It will deliver new possibilities in medical and scientific research, in areas like advanced GPS positioning, sensing and environmental monitoring. 

The true potential of this research and its applications can only be realised with the right digital infrastructure. It relies on the high-performance fibre optic cables that projects like Aura can provide. 

Like I said – today is a big day. 

Telstra’s Aura Network is such a vital and exciting project. I look forward to watching this project as it continues to better connect Australia. 

Once again, congratulations to everyone involved.