Fastwave’s real-time plan

Perth satellite communications specialist Fastwave Communications has developed a revolutionary global solution for the near real-time control, monitoring and tracking of remote fixed or mobile assets on land or under the sea, anywhere on the planet.

Fastwave satellite monitoring and control technology is already being used for applications ranging from pipeline corrosion control, gathering oceanographic data from buoys and mobile weather stations. The company recently extended this capability to wireless underwater data networks.

Imagine an engineer in their Perth office getting a mobile phone call or computer message advising the flow rate from a sub sea well in the Caribbean had suddenly dropped. They analyse the message, punch in a correction code and within seconds receive a message back that the flow rate has returned to normal.

Fastwave’s system utilises the $7 billion, 66 satellite global Iridium Satellite System shared by the US military.

The sub sea component came via a recent alliance with Perth company DSP Comm, developer and manufacturer of advanced, low-cost acoustic modems designed for wireless underwater data networks and currently used in defence and commercial applications around the world. They are capable of transmitting data from depths of up to three kilometres.

The Fastwave system’s ability to monitor and control sub sea equipment and installations from anywhere in the world has obvious implications for the resources sector, particularly the offshore oil and gas sector, as it would greatly reduce the need for expensive retrieval boats, divers and remotely operated vehicles.

But Fastwave’s global communications systems have much wider uses, including mobile equipment diagnostic monitoring, environmental monitoring, oceanographic data gathering, seismic monitoring and security/defence surveillance.

“We are fortunate to have a team of talented satellite and wireless data engineers who have been able to develop industry specific solutions that build on the capabilities of the Iridium system,” Fastwave director Nick Daws told WA Business News.

“We now have proof of concept. The next step is a field demonstration and for that we are aiming to secure the co-operation of a medium to large industry player.”

This has already happened to a degree, the company also working with a multinational energy company to enable the real-time tracking of people in remote, sometimes hostile, places.

But to take the next step into advanced testing and production, the company is going to need additional working capital.

Management and corporate adviser GEM Consulting director, Brian Beresford, said any new technology needed to present a compelling value proposition, in that it would produce significant cost savings or efficiency improvements over existing technologies.

“It is attractive if there are large, worldwide applications for the technology. However, it is imperative that the company has a clearly thought out and well articulated strategy for penetrating its target markets. In many instances, for a small, growing company, this may mean partnering with an existing large player,” Mr Beresford said.

Development to date has been funded by cashflow from the company’s four-year-old satellite communications business, which supplies satellite hardware and access to clients around the world, mostly in the resources sector.

Mr Daws and fellow founding director, Sean Groombridge, have a close association with the resources sector, having worked for Rio Tinto in Australia and overseas.