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How satellite services can help bolster business connectivity

Here’s why your business should consider satellite services to help connect your field of operations.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Australian businesses have been rapidly adopting digital technologies. According to research by AlphaBeta and Microsoft1, almost nine in ten Australian businesses embraced new digital technologies during the onset of the pandemic to maintain operations. 

This digitalisation of businesses has continued even as pandemic-related restrictions have eased. Today, businesses in both urban and remote locations have an increased need for business-grade connectivity. In order to support this rising demand now and into the future, businesses are looking at a range of connectivity solutions to help them innovate and grow. Now more than ever, satellite services are becoming an important consideration for businesses looking to bolster their connectivity.

Check out our recent live panel discussion entitled 'Satellite Services: Helping lift the digital capability of Australian business' which explored how satellite services, including the business nbn Satellite Service can enable access to reliable connectivity.

Business applications of satellite technology

Satellites have long supported the communication needs of large organisations in industries such as agriculture, mining, energy, and the public sector. Over the years, advances in technology have improved satellite capability to deliver reliable connectivity to businesses of all sizes, including small and medium businesses.^ Today, satellites can reliably connect business sites in remote areas to the head office as well as digitally enable an increasingly hybrid and distributed workforce.

Satellite services can also be more cost-efficient to set up than extending fixed line fibre networks. Ground equipment for satellite services can also be deployed and redeployed as per business needs. This can help easily connect remote sites to support business operations as well as enable employee entertainment and communication services such as Skype and Netflix. 

Satellite services can enable Internet of Things (IoT)2 connectivity to support real-time access to data or to monitor remote assets such as gas pipelines, smart meters, or products moving through the supply chain.  

Mobile satellite services3 can also enable wireless connectivity in areas with minimal or non-existent cellular coverage. This makes them ideal for enabling connectivity in sectors like aviation, maritime, resources, and energy.  

Satellite services for disaster recovery

When considering connectivity options for businesses, reliable disaster recovery is vital, particularly as employees and customers now expect digital access on demand. When a primary network goes down due to a natural disaster or unplanned outage, businesses need to be able to reconnect as quickly as possible.

Satellite services can offer ideal disaster recovery options during a network outage. With a diverse path to connectivity from a primary network, satellites can help deliver reliable backup connectivity. As they operate independently of terrestrial infrastructure, satellite services may also help mitigate risks from cyberattacks on a business’s primary network by providing alternative means of communication. 

Putting businesses on the map

Satellite services are already helping to improve connectivity in many industries and for many organisations including the Australian Bureau of Meteorology4.*^ They have recently used satellite connectivity to receive accurate and efficient weather reports and gained connectivity and provision of technical data to weather stations in remote areas. Elsewhere, satellite connectivity has helped the Power and Water Corporation5 improve water services for remote communities around the Northern Territory.*^

Emergency connections during the 2019-20 bushfires6 were also enabled by satellite services, supporting more than 5,000 residents, business owners, and support staff across New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia.

The business-grade advantage

A business-grade service will allow organisations to gain the full benefit of satellite connectivity. Key considerations include consistent data speeds and a high network uptime to power business-critical applications. The most important point to consider however is whether a satellite service is available at your business locations.

The business nbn® Satellite Service enables service providers to offer business-grade network services. It is available nationwide, including in remote islands such as Norfolk Island, Christmas Island, Lord Howe Island, and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.# The service provides disaster recovery capabilities to businesses, including those in major cities and metropolitan areas. Several service providers also offer nbn’s Enterprise Ethernet to provide businesses an integrated communications network solution.+

Supported by a reliable satellite service, Australian businesses can bolster their connectivity to innovate and grow into the future. 

Catch up on the 'Satellite Services: Helping lift the digital capability of Australian business' expert panel discussion. 

The benefits of including satellite services in a business’ suite of connectivity solutions was one of the key themes to emerge in the recent expert live panel discussion hosted by business nbn in partnership with The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI).

In the discussion entitled ‘Business Satellite Services: Helping lift the digital capability of Australian business’, the panel examined how satellite services, including the business nbn Satellite Service can enable access to reliable connectivity.  

The panel included:

  • Luke Robertson, General Manager of Business Satellite Services, nbn
  • Stephen Myers, Principal Analyst
  • Doug Stephens, Group Managing Director, AirBridge Networks
  • Host: Anthea Williams, Director of Strategic Partnerships & Stakeholder Engagement, The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI)
YouTube video, press enter to play video,

Explore satellite connectivity for businesss

Get insights into the business satellite services available in Australia.

Sources

  1. AlphaBeta & Microsoft: Australia’s digital resilience report
  2. Techtarget: What is the internet of things (IoT)
  3. Gartner Glossary: Mobile satellite services
  4. Case study: Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Willis Island station, nbn
  5. Power and Water taps into nbn for smart water support, nbn
  6. Supporting community connectivity in times of disaster, nbn
^
Your experience using the business nbn Satellite Service, including speeds and other performance characteristics, depend on a range of factors, such as the latency limitations inherent in satellite communications, the particular product and product features that have been selected by the service provider, the configuration of the products and product features being delivered, the time of usage in relation to certain internet-based access products, and other factors outside of nbn’s control (like your equipment quality, software, chosen broadband plan, signal reception, or how your service provider designs its network).
*nbn is very happy with the Australian Bureau of Meteorology’s and Power and Water Corporation’s experiences with the nbn network. Of course, experiences may vary. 
#
An end customer’s serviceability may be affected by a range of factors including whether there is a clear line-of-sight to the satellite, no interference, for example from other end customer, service provider or third party equipment, and having a suitable location to install equipment. Plans over the business nbn Satellite Service may not be offered by all providers.
+
business nbn Enterprise Ethernet is only available in the nbn Fixed Line network footprint and at limited premises served by the nbn Fixed Wireless and Satellite networks. Costs may apply; customers should contact their preferred service provider to ask about availability and any fees and charges that may be applicable.