Speedcast, a communications and IT services provider has announced an extension and expansion of the STARS (Satellite To All Remote Sites) programme contract, seeking to boost connectivity across Northern Australia. By introducing SIGMA, its edge compute platform, and high-performance LEO connectivity through Starlink, Speedcast aims to improve the existing geostationary satellite communications-based service catering to hundreds of remote sites across the Northern Territory.
The STARS program is currently serving multiple government agencies across an extensive and sparsely-populated area of 1.3 million square kilometres. Organisations, including schools and distance education providers, police departments, healthcare facilities, and parks and wildlife centres, are already benefiting from the service. The introduction of a new hybrid network will support and bolster existing operations whilst addressing ever-increasing connectivity needs.
As a major component of the expanded remit, SIGMA will provide important network management tools across STARS sites, allowing intelligent network and multi-path management. A successful proof of concept with Starlink LEO connectivity has led to its inclusion in the managed solution, marking a significant shift towards a hybrid connectivity approach for the Northern Territory Government (NTG).
The capital city of Darwin is home to the NT-owned teleport, where network traffic lands. The teleport, operated and managed by Speedcast, is supported round the clock by Speedcast's Network Operations Center (NOC).
James Trevelyan, Executive Vice President, Global Sales and Marketing at Speedcast, highlighted the importance of reliable connectivity for regions such as the Northern Territory, which Speedcast has served for over a decade. "Every technology advancement in the service we deliver to NT has a material impact on the people, businesses and government of the territory. We are proud of the long-standing partnership that makes it possible," he said.
Speedcast leverages its global network platform to provide fully connected systems that harness technologies and applications to transform what remote operations can achieve. With the world's most comprehensive network, Speedcast enables faster, seamless pole-to-pole coverage from a global hybrid satellite, fibre, cellular, microwave, MPLS, and IP transport network with direct access to public cloud platforms. With a passionate customer focus and a strong safety culture, Speedcast serves more than 3,200 customers in over 140 countries.
Beyond the Northern Territory, Speedcast has caused a ripple effect of connectivity across varied sectors in Australia by supporting an array of critical government and private organisations. The company also backs the Australian Government's regional activities, stretching from Antarctica to the Southern Ocean.
With the introduction of the expanded STARS program, the remote zones of Northern Australia will witness a revolution in connectivity, bringing significant benefits to government agencies, education providers, and local businesses, ultimately fostering an environment of growth and development across the region.