NBN to build three satellite ground stations in WA

Australia’s NBN Project moves further with the announcement that three ground stations to be used for the infrastructure is set to be constructed in Western Australia. According to Senator Stephen Conroy, the Minister for Broadband, Communications, and Digital Economy, three satellite ground stations for the National Broadband Network will be built in the following sites: Moonyoonooka, Binduli, and Carnarvon. 

A rendering of an NBN satellite ground station

The three telecommunications port are part of ten planned to be built and operated to support the NBN project. Senator Conroy said the construction these teleports will generate jobs and improve local economies, while bringing broadband access to remote and rural communities across Australia. 

The Gillard Government has compared the NBN as equally important as basic utilities, thus, a service that must be made available to all Australians. Around 90 jobs are expected to be created as a direct result of the teleports’ construction.

The National Broadband Project is expected deliver significant economic impacts in regional communities allowing for the development of wireless services including online education and telehealth.

Construction of the ground stations begin next year. The government has announced it will introduce a uniform national wholesale pricing for the NBN, with more than 1,700 Western Australians signing up for the project.

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The Adelaide Teleport

The Adelaide Teleport

Take a look at the Adelaide Teleport, located in Southern Australia. This is one of two teleport facilities operated by NewSat, an Australian satcom company. Although its counterpart in Western Australia, the Perth Teleport, is more popular, the Adelaide teleport is equally capable of handling complex satellite communications services especially to defence organizations. In fact, like it sister facility in the west, the Adelaide teleport is also a Military Accredited Global Access Point. It is also supported by a round-the-clock all-year-round NOC to ensure it remains connected to the 8 geostationary satellites it uplinks to. 

Why Australia is chosen for Teleports

A lot of people have this notion that teleports are facilities that allow matter to be transferred without actually traversing the physical space between two points. To clarify, the concept is what we call teleportation and not teleports. Teleports, or telecommunication ports, on the other hand are ground facilities which communicate with spacecrafts or receive radio waves. 

Watch this video on the advantages of an Australian teleport

These facilities are crucial links to earth and space communication. As a result, the location of ground ports are of utmost priority. Many organizations which rely on such facilities include the government and the military. Telecommunication ports provide the platform for mission critical communications. In volatile regions like the Middle East, government personnel relay on satellite communications to carry out critical services to defence missions, especially since many of the mission locations have difficult terrain, and the terrestrial networks in wart-torn regions are damaged.

An example of how satellite communications - through the use of teleports - are assisting the defence industry can be seen in how the Perth Teleport in Australia is delivering the needed communications solutions to the Middle East. Australia's location provides the perfect look angle to the ME, and many military communications provider rely on the systems down under to carry out their missions. The climate where the Perth Teleport is location is also very conducive. Rain fade is minimal which also means less latency issues. The ground port in Australia is well-secured too, and many defence organizations have certified the Perth Teleport.