SpaceX’s Starlink satellites will be trialled for voice services in regional and remote areas across Australia under a $6 million federal government contract with PwC public sector advisory offshoot Scyne Advisory.
The trial, part of the government’s plan to modernise universal telecommunications, will provide data on the reliability and quality of voice calls, and test the impact of weather conditions on telecommunications services delivered by low-Earth orbit satellites.
It comes just months after the government’s LEOSat Working Group suggested a government-led LEOSat trial could help address the digital divide for First Nations communities in regional and remote areas.
Scyne, which will run the trial from August 2024 to June 2025, is responsible for choosing the 50 regional and remote trial locations, although they will be all beyond the reach of NBN’s fixed line infrastructure. It won the contract after a tender process that began in February.
The government has yet to decide on the technology pathway for modernising its Universal Service Obligation – a consumer protection under the Telecommunications Act that requires voice services across Australia, currently delivered by Telstra.
Under the Scyne-led LEOSat trial, existing NBN Co fixed wireless and satellite services will be tested alongside Starlink’s LEOSat services as a comparison.
Starlink is being used in the technical trial because it is the only commercially available LEOSat service for residential users, according to the Infrastructure department.
As of September 2024, Starlink had 7,000 LEOSats in space. The government says other LEOSat or other viable services could be included in the trials if they become available.
However, data collection will be done independently of industry and is expected to be available from next month.
Communications minister Michelle Rowland said the government is looking forward to receiving the data, which will help inform delivery of “a more modern and effective universal service framework”.
“The government has been clear it will proceed on a consultative and transparent basis. Stakeholder views on delivery and funding issues will be carefully considered to help inform future decisions on a more modern and fit for purpose framework,” Ms Rowland said.
“The government’s focus is that universal service arrangements continue to deliver for consumers, can be more flexible to accommodate changes, and that we have related funding arrangements for baseline services that are efficient and sustainable.”
In April, the federal government’s LEOSat Working Group published a report that found LEOSats are well placed to address the challenges of the Australian regional telecommunications market, but that affordability remains an issue in First Nations communities.
It did not go as far as to recommend a government intervention, although said this may warrant a government-led LEOSat trial.
On Friday, the government also released a summary of consultation on ‘Better delivery of universal services’ which ran from the end of October 2023 to the start of March 2024.
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