The $2 billion CopperString 2.0 electricity transmission project has signed a memorandum of understanding with Bevan Slattery’s $1.5 billion HyperOne digital project to co-operate and co-ordinate in the region.

It could result in HyperOne infrastructure appearing on CopperString’s towers, but it was also about co-ordinating both projects.

CopperString’s plan is to transmit electricity from Townsville to Mt Isa. Its benefit would be felt by mining companies wanting to unlock the estimated $680 billion in mineral deposits still in the ground in the north west as well as allow renewable energy projects to send electricity from places like Hughenden back to the national grid.

HyperOne is digital fibre cable scheme that would connect regional Australia with the capitals.

CopperString’s co-founder Joseph O’Brien says every time the company did community consultation or met with a council the big issues were the same.

“They all say power is a really big deal, but internet is a nightmare every single hour of every single day,” O’Brien said.

“And a digital divide report was done by the Government on where the divide was greatest. Townsville to Mt Isa and north-west Queensland was one of the worst in the country.

“Part of the co-operation is definitely investigating the infrastructure side of things. There is an opportunity to put wifi towers on our towers and there is probably an economic development element and there is a customer and stakeholder element.

“Bevan has a lot of ambitions and one big ambition to develop digital infrastructure across north west Queensland.

“This is a wonderful story about connecting the north.”

O’Brien said the CopperString project was shaping up and notably the big issue of mineral development had grown from an economic opportunity to a political imperative.

“Maximising copper production has become a national interest issue and the large volumes of renewable energy (proposed for the north west) is being valued more and more.

“There is a lot we have got done now and the ducks are certainly lining up,” he said.

The CopperString 2.0 project promotes itself as a means of connecting the North West Minerals Province to the National Electricity Market, taking affordable power to the North West and bringing renewable energy from the region back into Townsville.

HyperOne is constructing a $1.5b, 20,000km long national fibre optic transmission cable system connecting capital cities in each state and territory, providing critical connectivity in regional areas including routes in northern and central Queensland.

Consultation on the CopperString project was completed last week.