In regions of conflict in the Middle East, reliable communications is essential. Terrestrial networks like telephone lines, and other crucial ground infrastructure, are often damaged in war-torn areas, making it of utmost important for military and government personnel to have wireless connectivity.
One of the solutions has been satellite technology. For the past years, US-based systems integrator Proactive Communications Inc. or PCI has been using satellites to integrate camp communications in the Middle East. They have turned to a teleport facility in Australia to support the mission critical communications of military personnel across the region, in particular, Afghanistan.
But why Australia?
There are many factors on why PCI chose a teleport facility down under, first of all, the location. The Adelaide teleport which Proactive utilizes is located in the state of South Australia, which has mild weather conditions and in particular, low rain fall. Good weather conditions where a teleport facility is housed minimizes the common problem of rain fade which plagues
satellite communications. Low interference allows for better performance, especially if we’re talking about sensitive military communications involved. Next, South Australia is rarely the place for major earthquakes to occur, thereby increasing a physical structure’s stability.
The Adelaide teleport is also located in a remote area of the state which makes it less prone to interferences which characterized facilities near urban regions, while at the same time opening it a wider range of satellites it can uplink to. Australia’s location in the Southern Hemisphere also means that teleport facilities in the country can provide the best look angles in the Middle East, while offering visibility of the US Pacific Rim, parts of Africa, as well as Eastern Europe.
This geographically ideal location is not the only reason why PCI chose the Adelaide facility. Australia, as an ally of the US, shares the same foreign policy objectives as Washington, D.C., thus offering political stability too.
In fact, the Australian satellite communications industry has been recognized as one of the most competitive in the globe. The Federal Government is already looking into a space policy that will put focus more on
satellite technology instead of space activities. This is due in part to the growing demand for satellite capacity across the globe. With data traffic surging, and the number of bandwidth-intensive applications growing, satellite communications is a crucial component not just for military operations in the ME, but for daily use by end-users and various enterprises.
