Pioneer Consulting to Provide Procurement Support for Southern Cross NEXT Cable System

International submarine cable consulting firm Pioneer Consulting has been selected to oversee the procurement support for the construction of a new submarine fiber optic cable system by Southern Cross Cables Limited (SCCL). The Southern Cross NEXT cable system will be constructed and operated by SCCL to connect Australia, New Zealand and the United States.

Pioneer Consulting has already provided detailed market analysis as well as consulting on the network’s overall design and technical specifications. Pioneer is now assisting in the system specification, procurement, permitting, survey and contracting activities.

This new system will provide connectivity between Sydney, Australia, Auckland, New Zealand and Los Angeles, California USA, and will supplement SCCL’s existing Southern Cross Cable network. The new system will also allow SCCL’s customers to leverage the company’s extensive point‐of‐ presence and access infrastructure and resiliently spread capacity among Southern Cross’s three independent routes between Oceania and North America.

With a total cable length of over 13,700 km, this major project will add a high capacity route to meet the anticipated growing capacity demand of the next decades. Pioneer will help to ensure that the direct optical transmission over 12,000km or more between Australia, New Zealand and the data centers of North America will feature the most advanced optical transmission technology available.

Mr. Anthony Briscoe, President and CEO of SCCL stated: “Southern Cross NEXT will further increase the capacity and resilience of the existing Southern Cross eco‐system, and is the first step in the longer term two‐part replacement planning strategy for Southern Cross, ensuring our customers capacity requirements well beyond 2030. To ensure this project’s success, we have integrated world‐class engineering managers with our experienced teams within Southern Cross. We are pleased to have Pioneer Consulting as part of this team.”

Leading the Pioneer team, Pioneer Consulting’s Managing Partner Keith Schofield added, “it’s our privilege to be working with SCCL on their new endeavor. SCCL has demonstrated to the marketplace 17 years of highly reliable service and consistent technological advance. We are pleased to help SCCL advance this excellent record of service into the future.”