OTTAWA – Telesat will be collaborating with Australia and New Zealand satellite operator Optus Satellite in live, over-the-air trials on Telesat’s recently launched low earth orbit (LEO) satellite.
Phase 1 testing will enable Optus to experience the advantages of Telesat’s system – including ultra-low latency and high speeds – and assess the role Telesat LEO can play in Optus’ next-generation satellite networks, reads the company’s news release. Optus and Telesat will work together, using Telesat equipment and existing Optus infrastructure, to perform the testing at the Optus satellite teleport in Belrose, NSW, and at other locations in Australia.
Optus and Telesat added that they will also explore a longer-term joint services and market development plan, specific to Telesat’s LEO initiative, for Optus’ customer segments and regions of interest.
Telesat’s Phase 1 LEO satellite, which was launched in January, is now undergoing commissioning and orbit-raising. Once fully deployed, Telesat’s LEO constellation is designed to deliver transformative, low latency, fibre-like broadband for commercial and government customers throughout the world, including in Australia and New Zealand.
“Optus Satellite has a long track record of innovation and outstanding customer service and we are delighted to be teaming with them to demonstrate the game changing benefits of our next generation LEO constellation for users in Australia and New Zealand,” said Telesat president and CEO Dan Goldberg, in the news release. “Telesat’s LEO system is designed to deliver low latency, high speed broadband with the ability to instantly allocate bandwidth where it’s most needed. We are excited to be collaborating with Optus on this demonstration and we look forward to continuing to cooperate as we advance the development of Telesat’s global LEO system.”
“Satellite has long played a key role in meeting the important networking requirements of our enterprise and government customers across Australia and New Zealand,” added Optus Satellite VP Paul Sheridan. “Our evaluation of Telesat’s LEO design gives us confidence their system is capable of delivering these improvements and has the potential to become a core component in Optus’ future infrastructure. We are looking forward to starting trials on Telesat’s Phase 1 LEO satellite and demonstrating to our customers the exciting future of satellite delivered services.”
