What's Happening?
Telstra has paused the rollout of its low earth orbit (LEO) satellite backhaul for remote mobile base stations due to insufficient satellite coverage from its provider, Eutelsat OneWeb. The decision follows a rise in outages impacting community services,
including emergency calls. Telstra's chief executive, Vicki Brady, noted that while data performance has improved, voice services have been affected. The pause aims to address coverage gaps that have led to significant outages since 2024. The Better Internet for Rural, Regional and Remote Australia group has criticized Telstra for understating the impact, particularly on voice calls. An incident in Queensland highlighted the challenges faced by users during emergencies.
Why It's Important?
The halt in Telstra's LEO satellite rollout underscores the challenges of providing reliable telecommunications services in remote areas. The outages have significant implications for emergency services, affecting the ability to make triple zero calls. This situation highlights the need for robust infrastructure and reliable satellite coverage to ensure uninterrupted service. The pause may prompt Telstra to reassess its strategy and explore alternative solutions to improve service reliability. The incident also raises concerns about the adequacy of current telecommunications policies in addressing the needs of remote communities.
