Telstra is the first Telco in the world to offer voice-only and voice plus broadband powered by Starlink to rural and remote Telstra customers in Australia.
The deal with Starlink will provide additional connectivity option for people and businesses in bush locations where distance and terrain make it difficult to reach with existing networks.
Obviously, LEO (low earth orbit) satellites are much closer to Earth, allowing them to send and receive signals much faster. This makes Starlink ideal for services that need low-latency, like voice and video calls or providing backhaul to mobile networks.
“We’re expecting to be able to offer this to customers and businesses towards the end of 2023, when we’ll also be able to share our unique pricing and plan details as well as how basic voice calls will work with our modem which will be offered with the service,” said Telstra Regional Australia Executive Loretta Willaton.
The agreement will also provide connectivity options for our business customers in Australia and overseas, as a higher bandwidth business grade option in areas without fixed and mobile connectivity.
“Telstra is always looking to invest in new and better connectivity options for our customers. We know that collaborating with the right partners is one of the best ways to help unlock a digital future, in this case for people in rural and remote Australia looking for an improved voice or broadband service,” said Telstra CEO Vicki Brady.
“Our teams have been out across the country testing and trialling Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite technology to ensure we understand where it’s the best solution for our consumer and business customers.
“What will set our offer apart is the addition of Telstra voice service, a professional install option and the ability to get local help with your set up if needed.”
Telstra currently uses a mix of technologies to provide voice and broadband services in rural and remote Australia, including nbn Fixed Wireless, Telstra’s own mobile network and older copper and radio networks.