NBN Co Selects ViaSat to Provide Satellite Internet System in Australia

July 12, 2012

NBN Co, building a wholesale-only national broadband network (NBN) designed to deliver high-speed Internet to all Australians no matter where they live, has selected ViaSat Inc. to provide the ground-based communications, network management, and data processing systems for the Long Term Satellite Service component of the project. The initial value of the contract is in excess of $240 million, which is expected to increase as the network is built out to reach up to 200,000 homes and businesses. ViaSat is under contract to supply consumer satellite terminals, including broadband modems and antennas for Australian homes and businesses, and 13.5-metre diameter Ka-band satellite antennas for ten ground station gateway facilities across Australia. The contract award follows a comprehensive, two-year procurement process by NBN Co.

"The rollout of Australia's NBN is the most comprehensive broadband plan in the world and we are excited to deliver part of the satellite ground portion," said Mark Dankberg, chairman and CEO of ViaSat Inc. "We have long-shared the NBN Co vision of fiber-grade satellite network access. The work we do in Australia over the next three years will be pivotal in establishing the state-of-the-art in affordable, satellite broadband."

ViaSat is the leading choice for Ka-band broadband systems, providing the most advanced network infrastructure and cost-effective customer premises terminals for the largest broadband satellites in North America, Europe, parts of Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and now Australia. ViaSat systems offer constant innovation in satellite design, ground infrastructure, and service operations support.