Freshwater Beach
Vocus has signed up the Northern Beaches Council in NSW as a customer for its Satellite – Starlink service, connecting 37 community sites.
The agreement, the telco claims, will make it the first council and government agency in the state to use the service.
The initial 37 sites will be provided with high-performance coverage as not just passive backups but active network connections, according to Northern Beaches Council CEO Ray Brownlee.
“Satellite broadband is a real game changer – it doesn’t require the traditional infrastructure of cables and fibre optics which can be disrupted during extreme weather events and emergencies,” he said.
“That’s where the low earth orbit satellite connections complement our fixed line connections – we can have two live redundant internet connections and if one goes down, the other will keep working.”
The decision to go with Vocus and Starlink came after requesting quotes from multiple suppliers for business-grade support, as it needed to improve the network connections around certain facilities.
Specifically, some of the childcare centres and surf lifesaving clubs within the council area are located in areas of poor mobile connectivity. Additionally, their fixed-line infrastructure is vulnerable to extreme weather events.
“Low earth orbit satellite technology provides us with the ability to have high-performance coverage at our sites, and not just as passive backups, but as active network connections,” Brownlee said.
Vocus became the first major Australian telco to sign an agreement with SpaceX to provide Starlink Business to customers back in November 2022.
Sold as Vocus Satellite – Starlink, the service offers either premium installation or the option of self-installation, along with Australian-based support and integration with existing network solutions and is aimed at enterprise and government customers.
