Telstra has launched a new high-capacity fibre-optic connection between Perth and Sydney as part of its $1.8 billion investment in Australia's digital infrastructure.

The connection forms part of Telstra's Aura network, a planned 14,000-kilometre national fibre network designed to accommodate increasing internet traffic, particularly from artificial intelligence, cloud computing and data centres.

The Perth–Sydney connection is the sixth of ten planned Aura routes, with Google among the major customers signed to use the network.

Telstra says the new infrastructure can carry up to 35 times more data per fibre path than conventional connections, significantly increasing the capacity available between Western Australia and the eastern States.

Construction began in March 2022, and more than 9,000 kilometres of fibre have since been installed nationally. Although the Perth–Sydney route officially launched on 7 October 2026, customer data is expected to begin travelling through the connection within the following months.

Regional Western Australian centres identified for connections include Northam, Collie, Esperance and Kalgoorlie.

Telstra says the network could support remote mining operations, autonomous equipment, agriculture, freight transport and regional health services. Businesses will need to arrange their own connections, with costs depending on their distance from the network.

Research commissioned by Telstra estimates that the Perth–Sydney connection and a separate planned Perth–Adelaide route could support approximately 10,500 Western Australian jobs by 2040.

The research also suggests that greater adoption of digital technologies could increase Western Australia's digital economy more than fivefold to $89.1 billion.

A separate coastal fibre connection between Perth and Adelaide has already been committed, with completion expected by the end of the 2027–28 financial year. The additional route would provide an alternative connection between Western Australia and the eastern States if another network experienced an outage.

Telstra is also considering a direct Perth–Darwin fibre connection, partly in response to potential data centre developments in the Pilbara.

Although the route has been designed, funding has not been approved, with a decision dependent on future demand and investment in regional data infrastructure.

The expansion comes as mining companies, telecommunications providers and technology businesses increase their investment in digital infrastructure across Western Australia.