NBN in $300m satellite deal for bush

NBN boss Mike Quigley says the satellite service is key to bridging the divide between the city and the bush. Picture: Stuart Mcevoy Source: The Australian

THE National Broadband Network will today announce a $300 million deal with a French company to build two rockets to launch satellites into space.

A national competition will also be held for students to name the satellites.

NBN boss Mike Quigley said choosing the company to build and launch the rockets in 2015 was a critical step in making sure up to 250,000 households, farms and businesses in remote areas got the same broadband speed city people took for granted.

"The NBN satellite service is key to bridging the divide between the city and the bush," Mr Quigley said.

"Faster speeds will allow people in regional communities to work from home like they would from the office, access video-based health services and make high-quality video calls to family and friends."

Mr Quigley said the satellites would also cover overseas territories, such as Christmas Island.

Two 777,000-tonne rockets will be built by Arianespace and launched into geostationary orbit above Australia from a spaceport in French Guiana on the North-Atlantic coast of South America.

The satellites, costing $620 million and each weighing 6.25 tonnes are being built in California.

They will be linked to 10 Earth stations costing $180 million, each with 13.5m dishes.

Arianespace beat a US company that launches rockets from Kazakhstan.

As NBN releases the first photos of the satellites, Mr Quigley said a competition would be held for schoolchildren to name them.

Someone has already suggested Kevin and Julia after the two prime ministers who have overseen the NBN.

Mr Quigley rejected another cheeky suggestion they could be named after Broadband Minister Stephen Conroy's two favourite football teams - AFL team Collingwood and the English soccer club Chelsea.

phillip.hudson@news.com.au

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