nbn™ satellite access network

The business nbn™ Satellite Service leverages nbn’s leading-edge, high-throughput satellites and redundant ground infrastructure to bring new broadband capacity using the existing highly reliable network architecture.

The business nbn™ Satellite Service uses the nbn™ SkyMusterTM Satellites which are two Ka-band satellites, first launched in 2015 - currently in geostationary orbit 36,000km above the earth.

The satellites are the first high-throughput, Ka-band satellites launched to focus exclusively on the Australian landmass.

Key wholesale features:

The satellites are designed with a spot beam architecture. This means larger capacity, higher wholesale bandwidth and extensive coverage across Australia.

The business nbn™ Satellite Service is expected to eventually have 58 spot beams covering 93% of the continent plus some off shore islands. 

nbn has leveraged its significant investment to build resilience into the business nbn™ Satellite Service and its terrestrial network. Key wholesale features include:

  • Points of Interconnection (POI) in both the east (Eastern Creek NSW) and west (Wangara WA) coast allowing service providers to build redundancy into their ABS service and for nbn to provide similar for VISP and IoT services.
  • The spot beam architecture is made possible by the 10 satellite ground stations (which includes one for disaster recovery). Each ground station offers redundant links to the east and west coast POIs.
  • Our business nbn™ Satellite Operations Centre located in Melbourne manages network performance and customer service incidents, it also includes sandpit and testing capability for service providers.

nbn offers a number of different NTD options to suit each product category (e.g. ABS) of the satellite service. 

Due to it being a high frequency, Ka-band satellite service the equipment is relatively modest in size and therefore easier to install than other geostationary satellite systems available in Australia.

VSAT NTD variant Wholesale business nbn™ Satellite Service product†
VSAT NTD Set 1*

nbn™ ABS L2, nbn™ ABSL3
nbn™ VISP (13/13Mbps)†
1.2m 4W Capricorn-4 AC
VSAT NTD Set 2

nbn™ VISP (30/1Mbps, 30/5 Mbps)†
0.74m 2.5W Gemini-e AC
VSAT NTD Set 3

nbn™ IoT (up to 2/2 Mbps)†
0.74m 2.5W Gemini-e AC
VSAT NTD Set 5*

nbn™ ABSL3, nbn™ ABSL2, nbn™ VISP High Gain (for beam edge applications)
1.8m 4W Capricorn-4 - AC
Access Bandwidth Service (ABS)
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Virtual ISP (VISP)
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Internet of Things (IoT)
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*nbn™ ABSL2 and nbn™ ABSL3 not available at initial launch.
†nbn provides wholesale services to phone and internet providers. nbn™ wholesale speed tiers available to providers vary depending on the access technology in an end customer’s area. An end customer’s experience, including the speeds actually achieved over the nbn™ broadband access network, depends on the nbn™ access network technology and configuration over which services are delivered to their premises, whether they are using the internet during the busy period, and some factors outside of nbn’s control (like their equipment quality, software, chosen broadband plan, signal reception, or how their provider designs its network).
#Plans over the business nbn™ Satellite Service may not be offered by all providers.