Scope: In February 2001 Downer was contracted to complete the 400 kilometre turnkey design and construction of fibre optic cable as part of the TAS21 project; a high-speed fibre optic backbone offering carrier-grade high-capacity telecommunication capabilities in Tasmania.
Services Provided: Downer completed the 400 kilometre turnkey design and construction of the backbone optic fibre cable network from Port Latta in the State’s northwest, to Hobart in the southeast, and Five Mile Bluff in the north. This included the installation of 470 kilometres of fibre optic cable and 18 surface repeater stations, enhancing the Tas21 network to provide Point Of Presence (POP) sites in Hobart, Launceston, Burnie and Devonport, and ongoing design and maintenance services to the network. At the project’s completion in July 2003, Downer entered into a 15-year Operations and Maintenance (O&M) agreement with the Tasmanian Government, providing ongoing O&M for the original and enhanced network.