Following years of planning by the Department, NBN Co and aerospace contractors, the first of two purpose-built satellites – Sky Muster – successfully launched today from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana.
The NBN satellites will deliver fast broadband to rural and remote Australians.
The satellites are purpose built for the task and are among the best in the world for providing fast broadband from space.
The satellites will:
- Provide speeds of 25 Mbps download and 5Mbps upload, much faster than any previous residential satellite service offered in Australia.
- Operate in the Ka Band frequency of 26.5–40 GHz wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum, allowing higher bandwidth communication.
- Project 101 spot beams covering the whole of Australia and five offshore locations including Christmas, Cocos, Lord Howe, Norfolk and Macquarie Islands.
- Be supported by a network of 10 ground stations built in specific locations, each featuring a number of 13.5 metre satellite dishes, to maximise both the availability and capacity of the system.
The first satellite will commence providing broadband access in 2016.
NBN Co has indicated that the second satellite will soon be completing its final testing at the Space Systems Loral factory in Palo Alto California, ahead of its scheduled launch in 2016.
The NBN satellites are an essential part of the multi-technology mix, ensuring that NBN Co can provide access to fast broadband regardless of where Australians live or work.