Telstra, the Australian telecommunications company, has announced a new partnership with SpaceX’s Starlink, a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation. The collaboration aims to provide home phone and broadband services to customers in remote areas. Telstra’s satellite connectivity services will offer expanded options for businesses and consumers who previously had limited access to broadband, potentially bringing them online for the first time.
Many of these remote areas are economically challenging for traditional terrestrial connectivity solutions. Telstra CEO Vicki Brady highlighted the company’s commitment to investing in innovative connectivity options and partnering with the right stakeholders to enable a digital future for people in rural and remote Australia.
Telstra’s satellite packages using Starlink technology promise faster speeds than existing broadband technologies like Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL). The services will be accompanied by local tech support and the option of professional installation to facilitate a smooth transition for customers.
The launch of these Starlink-based services is anticipated to take place towards the end of 2023, according to a blog post from Telstra. SpaceX has already deployed more than 4,000 satellites into orbit, with plans to reach a total of approximately 12,000 satellites. The company has secured significant commercial deals in various markets, partnering with operators like T-Mobile, BT, and KDDI.
Despite its dominant position in the LEO satellite operator space, SpaceX faces challenges in certain markets. India, for example, is currently a battleground as the company seeks an operating license from the government. Moreover, the LEO satellite sector is becoming increasingly competitive. Rival operators such as OneWeb and Telesat are expanding their constellations, and projects like the European Union’s IRIS2 and Amazon’s Project Kuiper are set to challenge SpaceX’s dominance.
In a recent development, Telstra also struck a mobile backhaul agreement with OneWeb, intending to transfer capacity from hundreds of remote base stations onto OneWeb’s growing satellite constellation in the coming year. These collaborations signify Telstra’s commitment to leveraging satellite technology to bridge the connectivity gap in remote regions.
