Media Release 19.10.22
Madeleine Ogilvy – Minister for Science & Technology
| Marinus links Tasmania to prosperous digital future Marinus Link is an exciting opportunity for the Tasmanian community, the Tasmanian economy and the Tasmanian ICT sector. Through the opportunity offered via Marinus Link and the convergence in our clean energy and telecommunications industries, Tasmania will roll-out the economic potential that exists in our State. Our ICT team is at the ready to support the additional capacity the Marinus telco cable can bring, and we have a strategy in place for Tasmania’s digital future. Our strategy includes a plan for the network layer of Tasmania’s digital and communications infrastructure. We will help to ensure the Marinus Link telecommunications cable opportunities are commercialised and integrated into our overarching, long-range strategy to ensure Tasmania is at the forefront of connectivity for the nation. The Marinus Link telecommunications cable will augment Tasmania’s current optical fibre capacity by 150 times. This project presents an opportunity to deepen our State’s cable capacity and add to resilience. It presents an incredible opportunity for generations of Tasmanians to gain work experience and secure technical roles right here, but with global reach. We understand the need to put downward pressure on the costs of data services, to help Tasmanians connect and do all we can to close the digital divide. Supporting increased infrastructure level connectivity is an essential component of ensuring Tasmanians have the best possible network we can provide. So much of our economic activity is driven by having an online presence, and Covid has shown us all how important it was to be able to flex-up when needed. The Tasmanian Government recently released the Tasmanian ICT Sector Capability Scan, which showed the ICT sector currently employs more than 9,000 people and is projected to grow to more than 12,000 by 2026. This is an industry that was worth $1.7 billion in 2020-21 and is expected to grow to $2.1 billion by 2024-25. |