How Vocus empowers defence communications

Critical defence systems demand a secure fibre network with the capacity, performance and availability needed to meet the most rigorous requirements.

Vocus is a wholly Australian-owned company that has a long history of delivering fibre and network solutions for the Department of Defence through its acquisition of Nextgen Networks. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Department of Home Affairs, and the Australian Taxation Office are also among 200 government departments and agencies that trust the company’s network infrastructure to deliver their most secure communications.

As an infrastructure partner and supplier to the Department of Defence and major defence industry prime systems integrators, Vocus is helping to keep Australians safe.

Vocus owns and operates an extensive optical fibre network throughout Australia and the Asia Pacific region, providing high-performance and secure infrastructure and services for government and industry. It has ambitious growth plans and is expanding its defence services with world-class experts who challenge convention to make brilliant solutions simple.

It’s important for defence organisations not to compromise on capacity, security and reliability when it comes to mission-critical communications. If you simply cannot afford for your communications to fail, Vocus provides industry-leading network solutions with the highest levels of security and reliability.

Empowering defence activities

Vocus delivers value and empowers defence missions through:

1. A high-capacity and secure national fibre network

A high-capacity fibre network enables communications with little to no lag or latency, while robust security and availability make sure information reaches the right person at the right time.

Vocus operates Australia’s second-largest long-haul fibre network. This includes Nextgen’s mission-critical transport network, which was part of the deal when Vocus acquired Nextgen in 2016.

Vocus’ national fibre network supports government and enterprise clients and is aligned with key defence sites, serving as a secure mission-critical transport network of government and supports critical defence industry capability. The company offers up to 40 Tbps internode capacity via wavelength services for point-to-point and highly secure multipoint services with up to 100 Gbps in its MPLS virtual LAN solution. It continues to expand and upgrade its network so it remains the most resilient and secure across Australia.

2. A leading position in the future of satellite communications

With low-earth orbit or LEO satellites being launched currently and over the next few years, Australia will enjoy even lower latency and higher-capacity communications to anywhere on the planet. Vocus is working with all LEO satellite communications operators to provide connectivity on the ground in Australia and has built and operates the vast majority of the teleports in the country. This and its extensive national fibre network enable the company to deliver low latency, high availability and resilient connectivity anytime, anywhere.

Vocus is already an important participant in harnessing the potential of LEO satellite communications. As Australia moves closer to being able to access these services, Vocus will play an even greater role in this area.

3. An Australian heritage and ownership 

With headquarters in Melbourne, Vocus is proudly Australian owned and operated. The consortium of Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets and superannuation fund Aware Super recently acquired the company – and as a condition for the purchase, senior executives and board members must be Australian.

4. A strong track record in supporting the Commonwealth

Having been a trusted partner to the Commonwealth Government, the Department of Defence and defence businesses, Vocus is a safe and reliable pair of hands to work with. It supports the delivery and sustainment of defence mission transport, satellite ground communications and maritime and other capabilities, making it an important provider to the Australian defence industry.

5. An innovative approach

Vocus’ leadership in providing defence network solutions is thanks to its highly knowledgeable team of experts, who take a forward-thinking approach and adopt a creative mindset to challenge a more generic network structure. Under this approach, Vocus customises every solution to provide the flexibility and adaptability defence organisations need to thrive in the modern world.

Find out how Vocus is helping Australia go forward, further and faster by strengthening defence.