Telstra has added a second 9-meter antenna in Perth, Australia, to support the Inmarsat I-6 satellite. Screenshot via Inmarsat/YouTube.

Telstra has expanded ground stations in Perth and Merredin, Western Australia with additional antennas to support Inmarsat’s I-6 F1 satellite, the company announced Monday. Telstra has added a second 9-meter antenna to the Perth site. 

I-6 F1, launched in December 2021, is the first of two Inmarsat-6 satellites to support the narrowband Elera network, and Global Xpress broadband service. 

The new satellite access station (SAS) forms a link between the satellite and terrestrial networks allowing connectivity to be transported immediately to its destinations across the globe. Inmarsat COO Jason Smith said the ground stations are a “crucial part of our ambition to transform and enhance connectivity services and solutions for our mobility, government and Internet of Things customers worldwide.”

Inmarsat shared a time-lapse video of the project build.

“Inmarsat’s I-6 F1 and the new ground station have really moved the global space race along and entrenched Australia’s position as a front runner in satellite communications,” said Matt Williams, managing director of Telstra EMEA. “This is just the tip of the iceberg of Telstra’s global projects underway.”