Vocus, an Australian fiber and technology solutions provider, has doubled down on its focus of providing satellite services to its enterprise and government customers to bridge the connectivity void across the country. The carrier has made multiple announcements over the last week, announcing it has partnered with Canadian satellite operator, Telesat, to launch LEO satellite services in Australia and expand its capabilities with StarLink, which will see the carrier add Layer 2 integration to extend secure private networks in remote locations. Will this announcement from the carrier finally put an end to poor connectivity and transform remote connectivity for enterprises in regional Australia?

The Australian market is well-suited for LEO satellite services like Lightspeed as the country has vast, underpopulated regions with limited terrestrial infrastructure. The use of LEO satellites will provide high-speed connectivity where traditional methods of connectivity aren’t viable. While the country is no stranger to satellite connectivity with the country’s National Broadband Network using geostationary (GEO) satellites for its Sky Muster service, the government is exploring the use of LEO-based satellite services to improve telecommunications in remote areas of Australia after an ACCC investigation revealed the Sky Muster service was so poor it struggled to consistently play videos and amid reports that customers were jumping ship to StarLink. NBN has announced previously that its business customers will be migrated to Vocus’s StarLink Ethernet Access as NBN Co prepares to discontinue its Business Layer 2 satellite services by the end of 2025.

This February, the Australian government expanded the existing universal services framework to include a new Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation (UOMO) for Australian mobile carriers. This will see mobile operators required to deliver mobile voice, SMS, and access to emergency services through direct to device (D2D) leveraging LEO technology. This obligation has led to all three carriers establishing relationships with at least one LEO satellite provider, e.g. Singtel’s Optus (StarLink), TPG Telecom (Lynk Global), and Telstra (StarLink and OneWeb) with the focus remaining just on mobility rather than expanding it to include broader network connectivity. Vocus has been quick out of the gate when it comes to providing new LEO satellite capabilities, with most carriers yet to announce their strategy of leveraging LEO satellite connectivity for big business. Only Telstra has highlighted the increase in demand for LEO satellites growing as part of its recent Connected Future 30 Strategy. The company provided no further information on how the company would use this technology aside from mobility in the future.

While Telesat, StarLink, and OneWeb all use the same satellite constellations, they all differ in technology, architecture, and target markets. Vocus is looking to extend its regional connectivity satellite leadership by securing agreements that will strengthen its presence in rural Australia, utilizing both Telesat and StarLink to cater for various demands of its customers. Vocus has enabled Layer 2 integration for its remote enterprise customers who can connect to their private corporate network securely via StarLink without the need to route data over the public internet. While Telesat Lightspeed’s terminal-to-terminal feature, which removes the need for terrestrial links for customers transmitting sensitive information, will make it attractive across all levels of government levels, including defense and emergency services. For enterprises in remote and regional Australia, the tide of poor connectivity is turning as improved mobility and satellite capabilities will strengthen communications that have been severely lacking over the years and provide businesses with more choice of providers while delivering the bandwidth required to deliver emerging technologies to industries like mining, energy, and transport.