Pakenham NBN at rocket speed

By LACHLAN MOORHEAD

THE recent launch of a satellite from remote South America is set to help Pakenham residents gain access to the NBN.
The Sky Muster satellite was launched from the Guiana Space Centre on 1 October and will now help boost internet coverage as far away as Pakenham and other suburbs in the McMillan electorate.
McMillan MP Russell Broadbent recently met with representatives from NBN Co to discuss the launch.
“The satellite is designed to capture those smaller communities that may sit outside the areas earmarked for fixed wireless broadband,” he said.
“This will ensure no-one in the electorate misses out on coverage, no matter what the local terrain or distance from town.”
Sky Muster is designed to deliver broadband services to more than 200,000 rural and remote Australians, extending its coverage to Norfolk, Christmas, Macquarie and Cocos islands.
Weighing nearly 6400 kilograms it is one of the world’s largest communications satellites and is the first of two that the NBN Co will launch into space.
NBN Managing Space Systems Architect Julia Dickinson said the satellite will help deliver “world-class broadband to the bush”.
“It will offer better opportunities for distance education online through use of video-conferencing as well as improved access for specialist tele-health applications in the home,” Ms Dickinson said.