The first dedicated satellite for Australia’s National Broadband Network (NBN) faces a launch delay of at least three months after its intended co-passenger suffered a setback.
NBN-1a was due to launch in June with the unnamed partner, however, its…
The first dedicated satellite for Australia’s National Broadband Network (NBN) faces a launch delay of at least three months after its intended co-passenger suffered a setback.
NBN-1a was due to launch in June with the unnamed partner, however, its delay has forced France-based Arianespace to pair it up with a new undisclosed satellite that it aims to place in October or November.
The Ka-band bird was set to be followed this year by a second called NBN-1b, which now faces a a launch in 2016.
An NBN spokesman said everything else in the group’s control had gone to plan, including the construction of 10 ground stations, and the new launch date ensures it is still on track for providing satellite broadband services in H1 2016 as previously anticipated.
“That said, we’re fully conscious that launch dates are always subject to factors outside our control, including atmospheric and technical considerations at the launch site,” said the spokesman.
He added that the delay does not mean the public-private-partnership needs to buy more capacity from satellite operators Optus or IPstar, which are providing the group with interim satellite services to help it reach its coverage targets.
The two AU$620m (US$630m) high throughput NBN satellites are being built by US-based Space Systems Loral, and once launched will be operated by Optus under a five-year agreement it secured in 2014.
They will be used to provide broadband services to 3% of premises in Australia. The rest will be reached under a multi-technology strategy agreed late last year, featuring fibre-to-the-premises, copper, wireless and hybrid fibre-coaxial cable (HFC) assets that had been previously been used for pay-TV services.
Getting two satellite operators to be ready to launch on an Ariane 5 rocket at the same time has caused headaches for Arianespace in the past. Last year issues with the propulsion subsystem on Optus 10 pushed it and its Malaysian partner Measat-3b back by around three months.
