Satellite
The importance of satellites to communications, space science and navigation services in Australia is illustrated by the different and constantly growing type of applications, particularly for the provision of broadcasting and broadband services to many underserved areas of the country. Currently, the following are the main satellite communications services available in Australia:
Direct-to-Home television (DTH): remote area commercial free-to-air services and pay-TV; uses Ku-band (11-12 GHz);
Mobile-Satellite Service (MSS): uses geostationary and non-geo (GlobalStar and Iridium) satellite based networks (Optus MobileSat and Inmarsat Mini-M); uses L-band (1.5/1.6 GHz);
Broadband: one-way and two-way high-speed Internet access.
Table 5.2 shows the list of commercial satellite networks serving Australia.
A distinct use of satellites in Australia relates to AsiaSpace Ltd., which is the Australian subsidiary of WorldSpace Corporation, a USA-based global satellite digital audio broadcasting (DAB) operator. AsiaSpace currently operates the Australian notified satellite AsiaStar (ITU name is ASIABSS), which is delivering DAB and multimedia services to Asia-Pacific countries. The WorldSpace system transmits within the 1 452-1 492 MHz broadcasting-satellite service band. The uplinks (or feederlinks) for the Asiastar satellite uses the 7 025‑7 075 MHz band and are operated by AsiaSpace at their headquarters located in Melbourne downtown. AsiaSpace holds apparatus (Fixed Earth) licences for the operation of the 7 GHz band service for its Melbourne earth station.
Table 5.2: Satellites (geostationary) serving Australia
Operator
|
Satellites
(orbital position)
|
No. of transponders (frequency band)
|
Optus
|
Optus B1 (160E)
Optus B3 (152E) )
Optus A3 (164E)
Optus C1 (156E)
Optus D1 (160E) (service: 2005)
Optus D2 (156E) (service: 2006)
|
15 (L & Ku-bands)
15 (L & Ku-bands)
15 (Ku-band)
20 (UHF*, X*, Ku, Ka*-bands)
24 (Ku Band)
32 (Ku band and BSS Plan)
|
PanAmSat
|
PAS-2 (169E)
PAS-8 (166E)
|
12 (C & Ku-band)
24 (C & Ku-band)
|
Asia Satellite
|
AsiaSat 3S (105.5E)
AsiaSat 4 (122E)
|
8 (C & Ku-band)
|
Intelsat
|
IS-604 (178E)
IS-802 (174E)
IS-702 (55E)
IS-701 (180E)
IS-906 (64E)
|
64 (C-band), 24 (Ku-band)
64 (C-band), 16 (Ku-band)
42 (C-band), 24 (Ku-band)
42 (C-band), 24 (Ku-band)
72 (C-band), 22 (Ku-band)
|
New Skies Satellites
|
NSS-703 (57E)
NSS-6 (95E)
|
26 (C-band), 10 (Ku-band)
17 (Ku & Ka-bands)
|
APT Satellite
|
APSTAR 5 (138E)
|
38 (C-band)
|
Shin Satellite
|
IPSTAR (service: 2004)
|
18 (Ku-band)
|
*) Defence payload: UHF (290-320/240-270 MHz), X (7.9-8.4/7.25-7.75 GHz), Ka (30.0-31.0/20.2-21.2 GHz) bands.
|
Source: ACA.
As seen in section 4.3.1.4, satellite network regulatory arrangements are based on the ground segment and space segment licensing. The latter is normally based on the Class Licence scheme, which is supported in a specified set of frequency bands24.
The services provided under satellite licences tend to fall into two distinct categories of applications—services to end users such as broadcasting, telephony and Internet access, and backbone services linking into or augmenting the terrestrial backbone network. The majority of these are in the broadcasting (29 per cent) and telecommunication sectors (16 per cent). Figure 5.4 shows the breakdown of satellite licences by sector.
Figure 5.4: Breakdown of satellite licence number and revenue by sector
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Source: ACA Connections, March 2003.
Table 5.3 shows the current list of licensees under the Class Licence arrangement (see section 4.3.1.4).
Table 5.3: Licensees of current space licences (in the Class Licence spectrum)
Licensee (service provider)
|
Spectrum range
|
Application
|
ARBT Pty Limited
|
12.5 GHz
|
Internet services
|
Comdek Limited
|
14/12.5 GHz
|
Fixed and transportable voice and data services
|
CSIRO
|
313 & 400 MHz
|
Science services
|
Department of Defence
|
1160, 1220 & 1570 MHz
|
Defence
|
FOXTEL Management Pty Ltd
|
11.9 GHz
|
BSS Plan at 152ºE
|
Gatecom Australia Pty Ltd
|
1 985–2 010
/2 170–2 200 MHz
|
|
Inmarsat Ltd
|
1.5/1.6 GHz
|
Phone, fax and data communications for Ships, vehicles, aircraft & portable terminals.
|
Iridium Australia LLC
|
1.6 GHz
|
Mobile satellite communications
|
KITComm Pty Ltd
|
1.5/1.6 GHz
|
Data communications
|
KJ Kirkby and Associates Pty Ltd
|
12.6 GHz
|
Internet services
|
LBF Australia Pty Ltd
|
11.6 GHz
|
DTH television
|
Localstar Holdings Pty Ltd
|
1.6/2.5 GHz
|
Mobile satellite communications (Globalstar) satellite
|
Mediasat Pty Ltd
|
14 GHz
|
Broadcasting & IP data services
|
New Skies Networks Pty Ltd
|
14/12 GHz
|
Voice, data, fax, video and internet services
|
Optus Networks Pty Ltd
|
1.5/1.6 GHz & 14/12 GHz
|
Mobilesat terminals, DTH television, point to point communications, VSAT networks
|
Orbcomm Australia Pacific Limited
|
137 MHz, 149 MHz & 400 MHz
|
Data & messaging communications
|
Television & Radio Broadcasting Services Australia Pty Ltd
|
12 GHz
|
TV broadcasting
|
Telstra Corporation Ltd
|
14/12 GHz
|
|
TVB (Australia) Pty Ltd
|
12.5 GHz
|
TV broadcasting
|
Source: ACA
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