Ten Gigabit Adelaide: Changing our city for the better

While consistently ranked one of the most liveable cities in the world, we have been overlooked in favour of our east coast neighbours – considered too small or too far away from key markets.

However, the tide is rapidly turning. The traditional mega-cities are losing their upper hand – they have become too big, too expensive, and too slow to adapt. At the same time, advances in technology and data use are shrinking the tyranny of distance and transforming the business landscape.

Adelaide’s size, once seen as a disadvantage, is now a distinct advantage. We can be more agile and get things done quicker – making us the perfect testing ground for new services, products and ideas.

Adelaide already has a strong reputation as a test-bed city. We were the first Australian city to roll out a 3G mobile network, the first to test autonomous vehicles on public roads and the first to trial public smart lighting.

Now, we are the first Australian city to deliver a 10 Gigabit data network.

In an age where the mega-cities are slow to respond and adapt, when geography matters less in doing international business, and when fast, reliable and secure data speeds are essential to business success and growth; Adelaide is the answer.

So, what is Ten Gigabit Adelaide and what does it mean for our city?

Council has partnered with TPG Telecom to deliver a revolutionary high-speed fibre optic data network specifically designed for big data users located in the City of Adelaide.

It enables businesses to access phenomenal 10 Gigabit per second data speeds through their own dedicated piece of fibre which provides a secure and direct connection to the cloud, bypassing business-crippling restrictions and congestion often experienced with traditional internet services.

Ten Gigabit Adelaide is all about helping us retain, grow and attract businesses, creating jobs, driving innovation, addressing building vacancies, and delivering economic and social returns for our city.

This nation-leading, 21st century infrastructure will ensure our local businesses have a competitive upper hand, supporting them to transform and expand on a global scale.

It will also help to attract new business to the City of Adelaide and will open a whole new scope of possibility for national and international business collaboration, furthering our reputation as a connected, smart, entrepreneurial and intelligent city.

Network access is already available to 40 buildings in the City of Adelaide and will be rolled out to a further 1000 buildings in the CBD and North Adelaide over the next two years.

Ten Gigabit Adelaide will particularly benefit data-intensive industries such as the creative, biomedical, finance, defence, advanced manufacturing, information management and cyber security sectors. These are the industries where we are seeing significant jobs growth which will employ thousands of South Australians in the future.

Compelling and practical examples of what Ten Gigabit Adelaide can do is bring the courts together with law firms throughout the city on a secure, private network. It will see radiographers providing SAHMRI with real-time imagery across a dedicated private network. Our talented animators based here in Adelaide will be able to collaborate on the world’s next blockbuster before sending their work across to Hollywood.

The possibilities are endless and, with Ten Gigabit Adelaide being rolled out as you read this, these possibilities are here right now.

A word I use to describe Ten Gigabit Adelaide is transformational. It will change how we work, how our city operates, and how we’re viewed from afar as a place to do business.

As I told a crowd of around 600 people at the recent Ten Gigabit Adelaide launch at a packed Adelaide Town Hall – this infrastructure provides us with a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make Adelaide the most connected city in Australia.

Ten Gigabit Adelaide is changing this city forever and it’s a change for the better.

I encourage you to learn more at cityofadelaide.com.au/tengig

Martin Haese is the Lord Mayor of Adelaide