The Brockman 4 mine is an iron ore mine in Western Australia. The mine’s workforce is on a Fly-in fly-out roster, where Optus expects to see high demand.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

[Via Satellite 10-01-13] Last week Optus confirmed the availability of the Thuraya SatSleeve through Optus Business in a key new deal. Optus Vice President of Satellite Paul Sheridan told Via Satellite that he expects there to be a healthy demand for satellite phones, particularly ones with SatSleeve, in Australia.

The Thuraya SatSleeve enables iPhone users to turn their handsets into a satellite phone with a simple slide and click. “We expect the demand and interest to come from various industries including emergency services, mining, farming and the wider government sector, where they will be able to stay in touch. In Australia, we expect that some of the demand for SatSleeve will come from the ‘Fly-in and Fly-out’ mining sector in areas of Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territories. According to a 2012 Federal Government inquiry, about half of the resource industry’s 270,000 workforce were employed on a fly-in-fly-out basis,” said Sheridan. “So technologies like SatSleeve make it easier for businesses to offer an added degree of connectedness for their employees who are travelling for work. The advantage is also there too for these workers to be able to stay in touch with their family or loved ones, even when they are away working or living temporarily in a remote area.”

Thuraya SatSleeve.
Photo: Thuraya

Optus is a long-term provider of mobile satellite services (MSS) via either its own MobileSat services or through strategic partnerships. Sheridan says Thuraya’s SatSleeve product could go some way to improving the perception that satellite phones are too expensive. “Satellite phones usually cost more than $1000 each, while the sleeve costs about $690. So for customers with iPhones and who prefer to integrate a satellite connection to that device, the SatSleeve provides the convenience that they need. Optus does not provide forward-looking forecasts or projections, however we are very excited about this product and we are anticipating a good level of interest from our Optus Business and Optus Satellite customer base,” he said.

Optus’ 3G mobile network now reaches an extensive 98 percent of Australia’s population. With the Thuraya SatSleeve, customers working in or travelling through the most remote areas of the country will be able to add a satellite voice and SMS connection to their iPhone. The Thuraya SatSleeve also doubles as a backup battery for the iPhone to enable extended talk and standby time, so users can keep in touch for longer, until they reach the next town or station. Given its vast territory, Sheridan admits that satellite will remain a key part of the communications eco-system in Australia. “If you consider the vast size of the Australian continent, satellite delivery to the regional and remote areas is the only way to provide reliable communications. Satellite phones will continue to complement cellular mobile services in areas where there may not be mobile coverage,” he added.