Australian Satellites

One of the leading telecommunications providers in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East acquired Adelaide-based Australian Satellite Communications. SpeedCast, with offices in Hong Kong, Malaysia, and the Middle East, has completed its purchase of ASC, as part of its strategy for global expansion and growth.

ASC has been delivering satcom services to various sectors down under, including the mining, oil and gas, and construction industry. Maritime vessels and government agencies also rely on the company for network solutions.

SpeedCast on the other hand, delivers managed network services to 30 countries and boasts of an international presence along with operating 16 teleports across the globe. The company has been leveraging satellite communications technology to provide powerful and reliable networks across its target regions, and the latest acquisition will see SpeedCast penetrate the all-important Australian market.

After having announced the locations for satellite ground stations, NBN Co. has finally awarded the construction contracts worth $180 million to two construction firms. The company said that it has chosen Bunbury-based Perkins and Melbourne-based Cockram Corp to build the ten satellite stations spread across Australia.

Cockram has been awarded contracts for six teleport facilities in the states of South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales and Tasmania, while Perkins will be building the four stations located in Western Australia. During the announcement sites, NBN Co said the transmission facilities will require 30 construction workers each, while overall, the construction project will require 60 people for management.

The company said that the long-term satellite service of the nationwide broadband network will cost $2 billion to build and operate. This includes the launching of two satellites which the ten ground stations will be uplinking to by 2015. NBN has said that the internet on satellite service will be delivered to remote communities beyond the project’s fibre footprint.

Last week, the government announced three sites in Western Australia where satellite ground stations will be built and operated in support of the NBN project. The new locations for the teleport facilities join those to be constructed in Tasmania and New South Wales.

This week, the NBN Co announced that Roma, in the southern part of Queensland, was chosen as another site for the satellite dishes to built in support of the broadband projects long term service. According to NBN Co’s spokesman Matt Dawson, the town was chosen for its location since the broadband project requires the satellite ground stations to be geographical spread out. The weather conditions in the area were also ideal for the operations of the facilities.

However, two councils from state - Diamantina and Barcoo - have expressed disappointment over the project saying the town of Roma does not need satellite service. According to the two shires, the satellite solutions would not be able to support crucial services including telemedicine, or online access to schools, since they would need fibre connection for the such bandwidth-intensive applications.

Those opposing the construction of the satellite ground station in Roma, including the former mayor of Barcoo Bruce Scott, are already gathering efforts as well as monetary support to compel NBN to change their plans.

Scott said that broadband through satellite would work well in domestic situations however communities requiring high-speed connections are better of with fibre.

Matt Dawson explained however the wireless component of the NBN project has been designed to deliver Internet by satellite to remote regions and other rural clients who have no other means of getting high-speed broadband success because they live outside the fibre footprint.