Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), a provider of commercial satellites, today announced that it has been awarded a contract to provide two high throughput communications satellites that will be used to deliver high speed broadband service to rural and remote areas of Australia . The satellites will be operated by NBN Co Limited (NBN Co), which was established to implement the Australian government policy initiative of providing access to high speed broadband to every household and business in the country via an integrated national network that will utilise fibre, wireless and satellite technologies. The two satellites, NBN Co 1A and 1B, are both Ka-band, high-throughput broadband satellites that use multiple spot beams in an advanced design that tailors capacity to Australia's vastly distributed population. When launched in 2015, the satellites will provide service to some of the most remote places in Australia , as well as its coastal islands and external territories including Norfolk Island , Cocos Island , Christmas Island and Macquarie Island in the Antarctic.
