Hi Ron,
You might like to make an inquiry as to whether you are eligible for what is
known as the NBN Interim Satellite Service.
This service is designed to provide a transition from the Australian Broadband
Guarantee (ABG) program eventually to the Long Term Satellite service.
At a technical level, the aging Optus satellites the Interim Service has leased
capacity from only have a limited amount of available bandwidth.
First priority was being given to those eligible customers who currently have no
alternate access to commercial broadband services. Obviously remote clinics
and the like were first cab off the rank.
However, I understand that they have opened up that a little bit and for customers
who had an existing service under the ABG for more than three years,
you
might be eligible for transition to the Interim Service.
You can find out more by visiting this web site
http://www.nbnco.com.au/rollout/abou...satellite.html
There is an online form you can complete to see if you are eligible or you can talk
to them on the phone.
There is also this document entitled "NBN Interim Satellite Service Eligibility
Criteria" -
http://www.nbnco.com.au/assets/docum...te-service.pdf
See also -
http://www.nbnco.com.au/assets/docum...-qa-jul-11.pdf
In the longer term, once the new Ka band satellites are launched, unless your area is
serviced by a NBN Fixed Wireless service, you will be on these faster, much higher
capacity NBN satellites. Unlike the Optus satellites, they have several tighter footprints
to better service satellite broadband users where they actually live and use the
Ka
band (Optus only use Ku band) to provide more bandwidth.
They are currently being built in the U.S. by Space Systems/Loral who have just
been bought by MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA).
See
http://www.ssloral.com/html/satexp/nbnco1a_1b.html