Updated 10 October 2026 · Australia
Damage to undersea internet links is sending some Asia-bound traffic onto longer or busier routes. Chinese sites, video and games can feel slow even when your home WiFi works well.
Vocus estimates: Indigo ~1 Nov · ASC ~11 Nov
Latest Progress · One-Minute Read
Vocus’s 9 October notice reports delayed vessel mobilisation and later targets for both cables. Temporary routing remains available, but the original links are not permanently repaired.
Vocus estimated completion date
Vocus · 9 Oct, 6:15 pm AEDT
The vessel is expected to depart Singapore around 22 October, repairing Indigo West before moving to ASC.
AusInternet’s 7 October notice gives a work window of 25 October–4 November in Sydney time. A work window and Vocus’s completion estimate are different measures; neither confirms restoration.
Vocus estimate for permanent repair
Vocus · 9 Oct, 6:15 pm AEDT
Marine works are expected around 3 November. Temporary Ethernet restoration and internet rerouting continue; affected links without backup protection still await permanent repair.
This is not a nationwide home-broadband outage. Experience varies by provider, and 11 November is a target, not a guarantee. Restoration needs a later confirmation.
Prepare for repair-related disruption: Vocus says ASC sections must be powered down, affecting temporary restoration and alternate routing too. Follow your provider’s service-specific notice. Test a different mobile network’s hotspot before essential meetings or work.
Vocus plan, 9 October · Next update: 14 October, 6:45 pm AEDT (Sydney daylight time; not a repair deadline)
Earlier repairs, vessel movements, approvals and sea conditions may change these dates. AusInternet’s window ends on 4 November in Sydney, not a promise of restoration that day. Extra capacity may help sooner, but not every provider or destination will improve together.
7 and 9 October: Vocus revised and reaffirmed its delayed schedule. The previous 11 October departure, 24 October Indigo target and 4 November ASC target are superseded. Service-impact notices are being issued to affected customers.
AusInternet’s 7 October, 10:07 pm AEST notice: works run from 25 October, 01:00 UTC to 3 November, 23:59 UTC. In Sydney daylight time, that is 25 October, noon to 4 November, 10:59 am AEDT. This is the incident notice, not the page-wide update time.
Earlier progress: September notices confirmed a full break on Indigo’s Singapore section and commissioned Japan–Guam 100G backup capacity. The 2 October notice still retained the old plan. ASC temporary paths remain operational, with intermittent third-party instability in Jakarta; available backup capacity is not permanent cable restoration.
What Helps Now
Test the service you actually use. Change one thing at a time and keep what measurably helps.
On the same device, open the same Chinese service using another mobile network’s hotspot. If it consistently works better, use it for essential tasks.
For games or an existing accelerator, test Japan, Hong Kong, Guam and Singapore nodes. Keep the option with better delay, loss and stability.
Move large downloads and cloud sync outside evening peaks. Use Ethernet for gaming and pause background transfers to reduce local interference.
If local tests are normal, repeated factory resets or a new router are unlikely to fix the international route.
It can. A repeatable improvement at your address is more useful than a brand ranking.
Same device and service, at similar times over two evenings.
Asian routes, backup capacity, contract and exit costs.
Confirm the new service works before ending the old one.
These public network details are clues for testing, not a speed ranking for this incident. Cable ownership does not establish the route used by every retail service.
Publishes information about its diverse Asia-Pacific network; a useful alternative to compare.
Historical material describes PPC-1 linking Sydney and Guam. Ask support to confirm today’s retail route.
Participates in Indigo, but Indigo West is affected. Test whether alternate capacity meets your needs.
Aussie Broadband, Leaptel, Launtel, Optus and other networks can also be compared. Without matched tests, no brand can be declared the worst or entirely unaffected.
Check local speed, WiFi and your provider’s outage page first.
An international route issue is more plausible, but check the destination service too.
A different route or congestion level may explain it. Repeat the comparison at peak time.
An optical-fibre link laid under the sea to connect countries. Think of it as a cross-ocean internet highway. When a link is damaged, some traffic uses other exits; distance, congestion and purchased capacity affect the result.
Providers and destinations can use different international paths, even in the same suburb. The incident does not establish that every nearby home is affected.
DNS turns website names into addresses. It generally cannot repair cables or add capacity to congested routes. Some content-delivery choices may change, but it is not a general fix.
It is not guaranteed. A repair window, a restoration estimate and the next notice time mean different things. Restoration needs a later provider confirmation.
Vocus ↗9 October, 6:15 pm AEDT, incident INC32585230: delayed vessel and repair targets, planned power-down impacts. Next notice: 14 October, 6:45 pm AEDT.
AusInternet ↗Indigo incident notice dated 7 October, 10:07 pm AEST: delayed repair window. UTC work times are converted here to Sydney AEDT.
ACMA ↗Background on international cables landing in Australia.
Checked 10 October 2026, 5:46 am AEDT. First published 5 September. An independent Sydney WiFi & Computer Repair guide; our interpretation and advice are not provider commitments.
Share your suburb, the affected service, a local speed test and a hotspot comparison. We can help you choose the next step.