Skynet 5A’s new Australia ground station. Photo: Airbus Defence and Space

[Via Satellite 05-16-2016] To land communications traffic from the recently relocated Skynet 5A satellite, Airbus Defence and Space has opened a new purpose-built ground station in Adelaide, Australia. The Australian facility extends an existing chain of teleports in France, Germany, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States, providing global coverage in both fixed and mobile satellite services.

Skynet supports military satcom operations across the globe, especially in remote areas with little or no communication infrastructure, and in mid-ocean, distanced from land and shipping lanes. Airbus Defence and Space completed the move of the Skynet 5A military communications satellite to 95 degrees east over the Asia Pacific region in September 2015. The Skynet network now offers global military coverage, expanding core service reach for the U.K. military and augmenting coalition capabilities in the region.

Airbus Defence and Space is managing the new teleport in partnership with SpeedCast, which already manages more than 30 ground stations around the world. SpeedCast, as a local Australian provider for more than 25 years, has worked with the Australian military developing a wide range of complex communication solutions.

Airbus Defence and Space’s teleports are fully redundant and operated 24/7. They have more than 25 antennas, ranging from 2.4m to 14m in size and are all locked on to the Skynet constellation of high powered X-band and Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) satellites, as well as commercial Ku-band assets.