NewSat and Australian Trade Commission successfully prove mobile communications concept

The concept that Austrade's IT experts requested was the development of a portable equipment kit that can be rapidly deployed to supply access to secure communications. The kit which can be shipped almost anywhere across the globe increases Austrade's agility by providing business continuity through the use of leading edge technology and access to fast and reliable true broadband connectivity for their users no matter which locations that they are in.
The key component of the concept is a new folding satellite dish, which removes the need for a landline telecommunication link. The dish takes around 20 minutes to assemble, and once connected, links the portable post directly to Austrade in Canberra which has a permanent dish on the roof.

In between these two sites is the NSS6 geostationary satellite used by NewSat and the New Skies Network. The satellite gives coverage to a huge swathe of the planet, from as far north as Moscow, as far south as Johannesburg, and east to encompass all of Australia. Coverage also includes Asia. This allows the 'mobile post' or office to be positioned anywhere within the area, and achieve rapid connection to the rest of the organizations IT network.

Austrade's test kit traveled to South East Asia and the Middle East during June and July and with the assistance NewSat's local staff was successfully tested. "The satellite link was very stable, and provided equal, and in some cases superior, communications speed and bandwidth compared to existing post links," says Ian Bennett, Manager IT Platform Operations for Austrade. "Not only data, such as e-mails and web access, is supported, but also voice and even videoconferencing was tested. The dish is weatherproof, and proved itself through torrential rainstorms in South East Asia followed by 50 degree heat in the Middle East."

The system could also provide temporary IT services for locations where Austrade does not have a permanent presence, such as at major trade events or any other offsite event where communications and access to IT solutions are required. The successful test has led to approval for a second self-contained unit with further enhancements to the system also planned to increase coverage and functionality.

Paul Seaton, General Manager of NewSat Middle East and Africa noted that with the recently announced strategic acquisition of the NewSkies Network mediaports in Australia, NewSat now had the ability to add a number of additional satellites to this service increasing the coverage in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe. He further stated that it was rewarding working a leading organization such as Austrade and that there were many other opportunities to provide such organizations with leading edge communications solutions. NewSat knows Austrade well, having used the services of the highly respected government organization to assist with access to a range of export markets where NewSat's services are now being provided.