September 2017

18 APAC / September 2017 , 1707AP02 Data Transforming Adelaide Adelaide is a city in Australia which is about to catapult itself into the future with its new transformational ten gigabit fibre-optic network. This will be the first network in Australia to interconnect to cloud-based data centres globally and enable data speeds which cannot be reached with normal internet services. The City of Adelaide is the state capital of South Australia - the heart of the state’s civic, cultural and commercial life. Built on the traditional lands of Kaurna people with a rich Aboriginal and Colonial heritage, Adelaide is recognised as one of the world’s great boutique cities. Renowned for its arts, festivals, music, sport, universities, Park Lands, enviable climate, fresh produce and retail and hospitality experiences, it is consistently rated as one of the world’s most liveable cities. As a capital city council, the City of Adelaide plays a vital role in shaping the future of the state. It has an ambitious vision for the city, as set out in its 2016-2020 Strategic Plan, to be a welcoming and dynamic city full of rich and diverse experiences. Critical to achieving this vision is the delivery of a transformational ten gigabit fibre-optic network, that will deliver lightning fast data speeds to the heart of the city. In what will be an Australian-first, the network will ‘interconnect’ to cloud-based data centres across the globe, enabling synchronous data speeds that are virtually unachievable with traditional internet services. The network will ensure that businesses based in the city, as well as institutions, governments, researchers, creatives and entrepreneurs, can connect directly with each other and export their services around the world. Once in place, nearly all industries will benefit from being able to share and access super-fast cloud- based data, including the finance and defence sectors, health and wellbeing, as well as innovative sectors such as robotics, artificial intelligence and 3D printing. City of Adelaide staff are working to finalise the project of a supplier proposal to be presented to Elected Members of the Council for consideration in the coming months, following a positive Expression of Interest process earlier in the year. All going well, work on the new network will start at the end of 2017 and will be presented shortly into 2018. The ten-gigabit network highlights the City’s innovative and creative mindset and showcases the Council’s ambition to become a true ‘Smart City’. Working within the technology industry, the council must employ techniques to stay ahead of emerging developments. It has a clear focus on creating an ecosystem of open and citizen-driven innovation, embedding 21st century digital technology into its core functions, services and infrastructure to improve the functionality and integration of the entire City and economy. “A ten-gigabit fibre-optic and cloud based network is precisely the type of technology infrastructure that will position Adelaide as one of the world’s smartest cities,” says City of Adelaide Lord Mayor Martin Haese. “This is fundamental architecture that is needed to future proof Adelaide in the digital age. It will open-up global opportunities for business growth, enable endless