The National Broadband Network Company (NBN Co), the Australian PPP tasked with providing universal broadband services across the country, has signed a multi-launch contract with Arianespace worth up to A$300m (US$305m). Under the agreement, NBN Co’s…
The National Broadband Network Company (NBN Co), the Australian PPP tasked with providing universal broadband services across the country, has signed a multi-launch contract with Arianespace worth up to A$300m (US$305m).
Under the agreement, NBN Co’s two Ka-band high throughput satellites will be launched on separate Ariane 5 rockets during 2015.
The contract was awarded following a comprehensive two-year procurement process and comes just over a year after NBN Co contracted Space Systems Loral (SS/L) to build the two next-generation satellites in a deal worth A$620m (US$630m).
Marsh previously won the broker tender to place launch plus one insurance for the two satellites and to advise the company on its order process.
Once operational, the satellites will provide high-speed broadband coverage to approximately 3% of premises outside of the reach of the NBN’s fibre optic and wireless services.
The PPP is planning on investing A$36bn (US$37bn) in a fibre network expected to provide up to 100 Mbps to 93% of homes and businesses. The remaining premises are to be serviced by wireless and satellite technologies providing a minimum speed of at least 12 Mbps.
A higher speed tier is planned to offer wholesale download speeds to broadband providers over satellite and fixed-wireless of up to 25 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 5 Mbps.
Prior to the launch of the new spacecraft, an interim satellite service has been put up in place with Optus and IPstar providing satellite services and satellite capacity to provide download speeds of up to 6Mbps.