Optus defends NBN Co's satellite decision

Optus says it could not provide a high-speed broadband service via its existing satellites and the company defended NBN Co's decision to construct and launch its own satellites. Optus CEO Paul O'Sullivan said that the satellites that are to be built by Space Systems/Loral for NBN Co are specifically for broadband traffic while Optus' satellites are designed to carry television and video services, The Sydney Morning Herald reports. Optus provides an interim satellite internet service of up to 6 Mbps while the new satellites are expected to provide an internet service of up to 12 Mpbs. Recently, opposition communications spokesperson Malcolm Turnbull criticised NBN Co for building new satellites rather than buying capacity on existing services. O'Sullivan, however, said that NBN Co had made the right decision as Optus' satellites operate on the Ku band, suitable for television and video content, while the new satellites will use the Ka band, which is increasingly used internationally for broadband services. "What you would see is a difference in capacity and economics and speed between a Ka band satellite and a Ku band satellite. We could carry this traffic, but we would not be able to do it with the speed, economics and capacity that a Ka band satellite could do it with," O'Sullivan said.