The Australian government has awarded an AUD 200 million, five-year contract to Optus to provide managed services for the satellite internet service to remote areas included in the National Broadband Network. Optus said the services will start as early as 1 July. The network will be capable of peak download speeds up to 6Mbps, enabling consumers to obtain broadband through participating retail service providers. The NBN Co plans to use satellite or terrestrial wireless technology to reach the estimated 7 percent of Australian premises that cannot be connected to its fixed-line fibre optic network.
Optus will fully manage the service for NBN Co and will include the provision of satellite capacity, network infrastructure, customer premise equipment and operating systems for interfacing with NBN Co and retail service providers. Additional capacity from IPstar will be integrated to meet network requirements. The service will use Optus' existing Premium Broadband VSAT service platform and capacity on Optus' D-Series satellites. Optus will be responsible for managing the project and will partner with Gilat Satellite Networks Australia to deploy VSAT network equipment at a number of satellite gateways and end-user premises throughout Australia.
NBN Co also said it aims to achieve speed and service improvements using existing satellite capacity by investing in ground station upgrades, including new satellite technology together with the latest modem equipment. NBN Co will commence a trial of the new service this month with two retail service providers (RSPs) who are currently offering services via the Australian Broadband Guarantee programme. The RSPs will offer 200 of their existing customers the opportunity to test the new service. From July it is planned that up to 300 new priority one end-user services per month will be installed during a transition period running until October 2011. From November NBN Co is aiming to provide capacity for up to 1,000 new installations per month. Additional RSPs will be on-boarded from June this year. It is planned that eligible, remote and isolated Australians will be able to receive up to a 12 Mbps service when NBN Co launches two satellites in 2015.
