Space & Satellite Au: Orion Satellite Upgrades Gateways With New VSAT Platform

IPSTAR Australia subsidiary Orion Satellite Systems has commenced a $3m upgrade to its core systems, including three gateways in Kalgoorlie, Broken Hill, and Auckland.

The company has implemented a new VSAT platform from Canada’s UHP Networks across the three gateways, replacing the former Hughes platform.

Orion plans to use the new platform to roll out new capabilities for customers, starting with the ability to schedule standby periods or instantly select and provision higher burst bandwidth using the Orion portal. These two capabilities will be introduced over the next eight months.

Orion managing director Shannon Fisher said the new platform will allow businesses operating in remote parts of ANZ to instantly change satellite services as needed to support their business demands.

He said he expected the ability to adjust bandwidth on demand is expected to be an attractive proposition for customers in these areas, where operations can be very seasonal or influenced by factors such as sudden changes in global demand for natural resources.

“Some customers may want to increase their bandwidth during periods of high activity, and some may opt to put their service on standby during periods of low activity,” he said. “The new feature means customers only need to purchase the bandwidth they need, when they need it – no other retail satellite provider delivers that type of flexibility.” The platform will be managed by Orion’s team of locally-based satellite engineers, which Fisher said are currently working to transition customers onto the new platform over the next six months.

IPSTAR Australia is a subsidiary of Thai satellite company Thaicom, which owns and operates four satellites covering Asia, Oceania, and Africa. Thaicom is in turn a unit of InTouch Holdings, which also owns Thailand’s largest mobile operator AIS.