Up In The Air

Australia’s independent satellite communications specialist, NewSat, is investing on two satellites for their Jabiru Satellite Program, worth $1 Billion. The ka band satellites are emerging technologies that are expected to deliver high-capacity frequencies to enterprise and government customers.

The Jabiru 1’s expected launch date will be on 2014, but the Jabiru-2 is already slated  for a late 2013 launch.

Jabiru 1 is expected to operate for 15 years and to service South East Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. The Asia-Pacific region has seen the most growth in the satellite sector. Although international point to point business has declined, DTH services are growing and the new satellites - expected to be the first independently-owned Australian satellite - will not only boost an industry facing competition from cable and wireless, but also encourage the country’s own space quest.