Telstra made the launch in partnership with Eutelsat OneWeb
Eutelsat Group and Australian carrier Telstra announced the launch of what they claim is the largest rollout of Eutelsat OneWeb Low Earth Orbit (LEO) backhaul in Australia.
The launch follows the signing of a strategic multi-year agreement in 2023 that will enable LEO capacity delivered to Telstra’s most remote mobile customers across Australia to enhance their experience when using real-time applications such as voice and video calling.
The deal follows the implementation of a voice call on-air using Eutelsat OneWeb’s LEO solution. Eutelsat also highlighted that more than 300 remote mobile base station sites that are currently using satellite backhaul will be connected to Eutelsat OneWeb’s LEO solution over the next 18 months. The capability will allow Telstra to expand mobile coverage as it supports new site deployments, the company added.
Cyril Dujardin, co-general manager of Eutelsat Group’s connectivity business unit, said: “We are delighted to support Telstra in delivering consistent connectivity to its customers in Australia, regardless of location. We are honored to count Telstra among our most trusted partners, with whom we will continue to collaborate to test and deploy current and future technology.”
“Eutelsat OneWeb’s LEO solution will help us improve the customer experience in regional and remote areas with lower latency, higher speeds, and a more consistent experience. There’s also potential for OneWeb, as a backup backhaul solution, to improve reliability in areas where terrestrial backhaul is susceptible to natural disasters, and where communities find themselves in isolation to have a LEO backhaul that guarantees that level of quality service,” said Iskra Nikolova, Telstra executive for network and technology
Eutelsat Group was formed through the combination of Eutelsat and OneWeb in 2023, becoming a integrated GEO-LEO satellite operator with a fleet of 35 geostationary satellites and a Low Earth Orbit constellation of more than 600 satellites.
In July 2023, Telstra said that it will use Starlink, the satellite internet constellation operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, to provide fixed broadband and voice services to rural Australians.
“Australia is a big place. We’ve got over 7.6 million square kilometers of land with 26 million of us spread across it — which creates a unique challenge in keeping all of us adequately connected — and means some of us can’t get the same quality connection of those in more metro areas,” wrote TelstraRegional Australia Executive and Regional Customer Advocate Loretta Willaton in a blog post. “To help provide additional solutions for these customers, we’re now working with Starlink to deliver Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite connectivity to provide voice and fixed broadband services in remote and hard to reach places.”
Telstra said it expected the new service to be available for customers and businesses towards the end of 2023.
