Equatorial Satellite Systems Australia has received a $3m order for a new satellite-based transaction communications network from the Overseas Telecommunications Commission, Australia. The service, called Satnet, will be the first Intelnet II-based service in the world to be operated on an international basis, as distinct from a service within a country. Equatorial Satellite Systems, which is partly owned by Equatorial Communications Co of Mountain View, California, claims that the network will make it easier and more cost-effective to deliver transmission of data to and from customers worldwide. The service will go into operation in the first quarter of 1988. The initial network consists of two microprocessor-based C-200 master earth stations, both located in Australia – one pointed at an Indian Ocean satellite, the other at a Pacific Ocean satellite – and remote systems control. It is anticipated that the equipment order will grow to several hundred VSAT, very small aperture terminal, units over the next few years. Phased introduction of Satnet to Australia’s trading partners in the South Pacific and South-East Asian regions is planned, initially with OTC aiming to encourage overseas business to hub their regional communications networks in Australia. Since announcing plans for the service last year, OTC has undertaken succ-ssful customer trials throughout Australia. The two-way service is aimed at organisations in the banking, finance, travel and mining industries. Typical applications are electronic funds transfer, credit card validations, travel bookings and mineral analysis. OTC data communications customers can transmit computer information via an OTC master earth station, which transmits the data to the satellite. Information can be captured by the C-200 series micro earth station, and a data controller which can be installed quickly at any location. This unit in turn forwards the messages by cable to nearby computer terminals. The micro earth station can support a number of terminals. The network carries user data back along the same path to the appropriate host computer.
