Fixing mobile black spots with new satellite terminal
Developed by UTS Distinguished Professor Karu Eselle, the BeSAT100 satellite terminal offers cost-effective and reliable internet connectivity to remote communities.
UTS Professor Karu Esselle and David Benchoam from Benelec. Photo Andy Roberts
UTS Distinguisher Professor Karu Eselle has developed a revolutionary flat-panelled antenna terminal that can operate off-grid on a portable battery.
The BeSAT100 satellite terminal is being commercialised by Australian radio technology company Benelec, which was recently awarded $1.15 million in funding from the Australian Government’s Telecommunications Disaster Resilience Innovation program.
The terminal system ensures robust connectivity for remote and rural districts, with low power consumption compared to its counterparts.
This makes it an ideal solution for remote Indigenous communities, for example. We worked with groups in the Torres Strait in the past to find solutions for them to access high-speed data when they don’t have any. This unit could be perfect for their needs.
Benelec General Manager, David Benchoam
“For people working in emergency services, they can have a terminal on the back of a trailer which they can pull up to a location where there’s a bushfire or flood and it’ll give them access to a network where there is none.”
The BeSAT100 terminal is also fully Australian owned and can be manufactured using locally sourced parts, ensuring supply chain reliability.
“At the end of the day, we want a terminal that’s practical to build in Australia almost entirely, cost-effective and can be marketed for use in remote communities across Australia.”
