Inmarsat’s GX network – which aims to deliver the world’s first Ka-band network – will provide mobile users with broadband speeds of up to 50Mbps, and the POR contract is seen as an important development of the network.
Telecom said it plans to develop its Satellite Earth Station, located at Warkworth, near Auckland on New Zealand’s North Island, and host Inmarsat and its GX satellite antenna.
Warkworth and Inmarsat’s own Land Earth Station and Teleport in Auckland will act as gateways between the broadband traffic routed via the POR satellite and terrestrial fixed networks.
“The scale of this project reinforces that New Zealand can meet demand for security of international bandwidth supply at competitive prices. In choosing a location for a satellite earth station, it needs to be cost-effective and have reliable connectivity to the rest of the world,” said Nick Clarke, Telecom’s GM wholesale and international.
Inmarsat’s MD, growth management and support, Leo Mondale, said the GX development programme is on time and on budget.
“The sites for all six GX satellite access stations have now been selected, and operational readiness is well advanced on the stations supporting our first Inmarsat-5 satellite serving the Indian Ocean Region, which we expect to launch around the turn of the year,” Mondale added.
The Inmarsat-5 constellation will be deployed by the end of 2014.
