MEDIA RELEASE
29 September 2025
SABRENet Celebrates 20 Years: The Unsung Hero Powering South Australia’s Innovation Future
Adelaide, South Australia
SABRENet Ltd, South Australia’s not-for-profit fibre optic network, proudly marks its 20th anniversary in 2025, celebrating two decades of visionary infrastructure planning, public-private collaboration, and quiet innovation that has transformed the state’s research, education, and innovation landscape.
Founded in 2005 by South Australia’s three major universities and the State Government, SABRENet was born from a bold vision: to build a dedicated, high-speed fibre optic network that would serve as the digital backbone for the state’s knowledge economy. Today, that vision has matured into supporting more than 650 organisations over approximately 500km of fibre optic network throughout Greater Adelaide connecting schools, universities, research institutes, innovation precincts, startups and scaleups across the state.
“SABRENet is the secret network behind South Australia’s innovation engine,” said Sandra Vallance, CEO of SABRENet. “We’ve quietly enabled the breakthroughs, the startups, the collaborations, by ensuring the infrastructure is always there, always fast, and always affordable.”
Long-Term Planning, Enduring Value
SABRENet’s success is rooted in its long-term asset ownership strategy. With a robust approach to asset management and continual evolution including fibre monitoring ensuring network integrity, SABRENet delivers unmatched reliability and cost-efficiency.
Every dollar invested in SABRENet buys a reusable asset delivering intergenerational value to research, education and innovation in South Australia at a very low cost.
Public-Private Partnership in Action
SABRENet exemplifies the power of public-private partnership. Its recent collaboration with Vocus and the South Australian Government delivered a 35km fibre investment between Edinburgh Parks and Adelaide Airport, boosting capacity and diversity for research and innovation customers. This expansion supports initiatives like GigCity Adelaide, offering true gigabit internet to microbusinesses from just $49.90/month.
The Unsung Hero of South Australia’s Digital Economy
From enabling defence research at Osborne to powering AI breakthroughs at Lot Fourteen, SABRENet has quietly underpinned South Australia’s rise as a global innovation hub. Its role is often invisible, but indispensable. “AI doesn’t work without fibre. Every new technology from research to business, relies on fast, reliable connectivity,” said Paul Sherlock, SABRENet Chair.
To mark this milestone, SABRENet will host a 20th Anniversary Celebration on 6 November 2025, bringing together partners, customers, and government leaders to reflect on the past and look ahead to the next chapter of digital transformation.
About SABRENet Ltd
SABRENet Ltd is South Australia’s dedicated high-speed fibre optic network for research, education, and innovation. Established in 2005, it operates as a not-for-profit company owned by South Australia’s major universities and the State Government. SABRENet connects over 650 organisations across the state and is a key enabler of the GigCity Adelaide initiative.
Contact Information
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Sandra Vallance
Chief Executive Officer
Phone: 0437 424 423 / 8155 5678
