Near-Earth satellites will be a game changer for internet access in the bush.
MOST data accessed through satellite internet services has a long round trip between the user and the satellite.
This is known as latency. High latency means that supporting high data rate activities – streaming, online gaming or making video calls – is difficult.
Typically, your request for data heads to single geostationary satellites that orbit the planet at 35,786 kilometres, before it sends that data (information, web pages, videos) back to your device.
A new breed of internet players, including Starlink and OneWeb, are offering advanced broadband satellite internet, which are constellations of thousands of satellites that orbit much closer to Earth (circa 550km).
This equates to substantially lower latency and faster speeds, both features considered highly valuable in a vast continent such as Australia.
Starlink is backed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, the only satellite operator able to launch its own satellites frequently and at a low cost.
The satellites are regularly updated with the latest technology and SpaceX boasts the largest constellation of satellites to date.
Starlink is servicing more than 30 countries, including the US, Australia and the UK.
It’s reported there are 2,500 Starlink satellites in orbit, with a target of 42,000. In the US, Starlink plans to expand its network to provide mobile phone coverage (providing limited text, MMS, voice messaging and possibly app connectivity), in a partnership with T-Mobile.
The service is intended as a last resort, predominantly used for rescue and emergency services in areas without coverage.
The beta phase is anticipated by the end of 2023. Apple’s newly released iPhone 14 is the first smartphone to allow direct satellite connectivity, allowing users to send short SOS messages using the Globalstar satellite network in some locations.
About 75 per cent of Australia is covered by Starlink, with the rest set to follow in 2023.
It will promise speeds similar to NBN 100 for those in regional Australia.
While the service works best in low and remote density areas, Starlink has the necessary licences to operate Australia-wide, so technically can also service major cities.
Starlink Business has a one-off hardware fee of $3,740 (plus shipping) and $750 monthly fee.
While the business plan is significantly higher than personal plans, it offers a much more powerful antenna and priority service, with impressive speeds up to 350 megabits per second.
In rural areas, Starlink is competing with Sky Muster Satellite NBN.
While Starlink loses on price, it far outperforms Sky Muster in terms of speed and unlimited data. Telstra is also in the early stages of collaboration with OneWeb, a London-based communications network powered by a constellation of 648 low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites.
Telstra group executive for networks and IT, Nikos Katinakis, said Telstra was exploring new ways to provide high-quality connectivity, particularly in remote corners of Australia.
“LEO satellite connectivity provides our consumers, small business, and enterprise customers with a lot of exciting possibilities – especially those who need continuous coverage or extra redundancy – for backhauling to back-up for resilience, for IoT [internet of things] applications, for supporting emergency services, for rural broadband, and for agritech,” he said.
Testing of the service is now possible for some of Telstra’s most remote customers, helping those in distant and underdeveloped areas access fast internet, improve their quality of life, and enable them to conduct business from anywhere.
No tech battle would be complete without Amazon stepping into the ring.
The e-retail giant is preparing to launch two test satellites for its internet constellation in early 2023 (delayed from Q4 2022).
Amazon says this will help finalise the design, deployment and operational plans for its internet satellite system.
Amazon needs to launch 50 per cent of its 3,236 satellites by 2026 to keep its US Federal Communications Commission licence and has an agreement in place with Verizon in the US.
This will require a number of launches over the coming years, so time is of the essence.
It’s expected that telcos in Australia will increasingly be joining the LEO satellite internet train, and that poor internet out in the bush, in the ocean and even in the skies (on commercial planes) will likely become a problem of the past.
• Chloe Constantinides is a consultant, adviser, and founder of multiple startups. She works in marketing, technology, and strategy. A 2018 40under40 winner, she also featured on SmartCompany’s 2018 Smart 30 Under 30 list.