American Chamber of Commerce Visit Perth Teleport

Photos from the  Perth Teleport Tour

Twenty-five guests from the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) visited the Perth Teleport in Western Australia, one of two such facilities operated by NewSat Ltd. The guests were given a tour of the antenna systems used in the ground port, as well as a presentation of the company's history and the satellite industry. Len McGoldrick, Vice President of Engineering and Operations, welcomed the guests and also gave them a quick tour of the Network Operations Centre which run 24 x 7 x 365. The Perth teleport is an award-winning facility certified by military organizations across the world to supply services to the defence industry. Aside from servicing government and military customers, the Perth teleport was recently awarded a contract to provide offshore and onshore communications to Chevron's Wheatstone Project in Western Australia, one of the largest liquid natural gas developments in the region. 

NewSat, Australia's Satellite Company

NewSat Limited (ASX: NWT) is Australia’s largest specialist satellite communications company, delivering Internet, voice, data and video communications via satellite. With its unique-to-Australia Teleport infrastructure, NewSat provides a full range of managed satellite communication services and has established a reputation as the partner of choice for governments, corporations and private enterprises. Today, NewSat has the ability to provide coverage to 75% of the globe; from Australia, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, across the Indian Ocean extending into Europe and across the Pacific Ocean, reaching into the West coast of the USA.


NewSat’s world acclaimed Teleports in Perth (Western Australia) and Adelaide (South Australia) were Top 3 Finalists in the World Teleport Association’s 2012 and 2010 “Awards for Excellence” and made the 2011 “Top Operator Rankings”. Both Teleports are accredited to supply services to the Australian Department of Defence (DRSS) and are recognised as highly secure Global Access Points, supporting certified classified networks to ensure the transmission of vital and sensitive information for government clients.


NewSat will be expanding its satellite capabilities with the Jabiru Satellite Program, beginning with the launch and operation of Jabiru-1, Australia’s first independently owned commercial satellite. Jabiru-1, a large Ka- band next generation satellite, will provide superior coverage over South East Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. Jabiru-2, also scheduled, will deliver enhanced coverage in and around Australia. NewSat has rights to eight premium orbital slots and its fleet of next generation geostationary satellites will lead Australia’s space quest. 

NewSat Towards the World

NewSat, Australia’s largest satellite communications company, is providing vital communications for Australian Defence personnel located in far-flung places. They are also now preparing to launch its very own communications satellite.

Mike Keneally, Vice-President of Satellite Strategy, speaks to Grant Smith about the company’s Government Accredited Adelaide and Perth teleports, the services the Teleports provide Australian and US Defence Force personnel and Jabiru-1, Australia’ first locally owned commercial satellite.

See: ‘Voyager 1′ Before the Voyager Interstellar Mission

Ku Band Platforms to be Launched by RRsat on AMOS-5 Satellite Over Africa

One of the leading providers of global, end-to-end content management and distribution services, RRsat Global Communications Network Ltd., is now expanding to radio and television broadcasting industries. To support the expansion, RRsat has teamed up with SpaceCom to deliver high-powered Ku band, MCPC platforms via the Amos 5 satellite. The development will see an increase in the direct-to-home capacity content to Sub-Saharan Africa. 

SpaceCom's Amos 5 has been delivering Ku-band, as well as C-band capacity to the entire African continent. The company's plans to be multi-regional satellite operator is also supported by the upcoming projects like AMOS-4 in 2013 with coverage over Russia and South Asia, and AMOS-6 in 2014 with coverage over Europe and the Middle East.

International point-to-point businesses have declined and the satellite industry is now investing more on DTH services. RRsat's new Ku band, MCPC platforms will deliver powerful beams and greater coverage to the African continent, providing the needed infrastructure to meet the increasing TV viewing demand in the continent. 

"The African market for broadcast television is growing rapidly," said Lior Rival, VP Sales & Marketing at RRsat. "Together with AMOS, we believe that with these platforms we will be able to provide leading TV and radio channels the opportunity to reach a continent demanding new television viewing. RRsat is able to cost-effectively bring content from Europe, Asia and the Americas for DTH distribution.

Aside from Ku band, the newest spectrum called Ka band is also emerging in the Asian and Australian regions. It's greater capacity and ability to complement existing Ku band services are being seen as the future of a satellite industry facing challenges like limited orbital slots and frequencies. 

Australian Satellite Communications Leading the Pack

Australian satellite communications has seen tremendous growth over the years, and it hasn't gone unrecognized. In the Satellite 2012 event in Washington, the Australian Ambassador to the United States, Kim Beazley hosted an evening to recognize the outstanding achievements of the satellite communications industry down-under.

As the forefront of space technology shift from the Americas and Europe to the Asia-Pacific region, satellite operators in Australia have taken the opportunity to lead the changes. Case in point, the independent satellite operator NewSat.

Over the years, NewSat has transformed itself from a communications company into the leading independent satellite operator in the country since it's acquisition of world-class Teleport facilities in Adelaide and Perth in 2005. With these assets, NewSat rallied behind improved services to deliver high-quality satellite capacity to both enterprise and government consumers. Now, services like VoIP, satellite broadband, terrestrial backhaul, and private corporate networks are more accessible to the Australian community. 

Presently, the company is riding a wave of positive feedback as it offers wireless communications services to various industries. This include providing mission critical communications for the US Military in the Middle East; communications solutions to government departments like the DFAT and NSW fire brigade; and providing the entertainment solutions via satellite communications in remote mining locations.

Just recently, NewSat celebrated a milestone with the completion of its Jabiru-1 Satellite - part of the Jabiru Satellite Program - by Lockheed Martin. The high-powered Ka band capacity satellite has been designed to meet the demand for the spectrum across South Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Ka band offers unique advantages over the usual C band and allows a technology which can be combined even with present Ku band services.

With the focus of the satellite industry on direct-to-home service increasing, expect that the demand for Ka band will also grow, and along with it, a robust sector being led by operators in Australia.