hi ricmHere is some info & I've covered most of what's in the...

hi ricm

Here is some info & I've covered most of what's in the above posts in great detail already..

"..I congratulate NewSat Ltd for their work on the project.." -- WA Minister for Industry and Enterprise

The following is background in rough chronological order:

Second round broadband projects funded under the Coordinated Communications Infrastructure Fund

(CCIF)

Western Australia
Kimberley Broadband Solutions

This project will deploy broadband solutions to the Kimberley region of far north Western Australia including regions around the towns of Broome, Derby, Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek, Kununurra and Wyndham.

Communities in the Kimberley region will have increased access to distance education opportunities, online banking and e-business facilities. Health professionals will also have improved access to medical records and specialist services.

The Western Australian Department of Industry and Resources will lead the project, in partnership with the Kimberley Development Commission and the Western Australian Departments of Treasury and Finance and Local Government and Regional Development.


NewSat Limited was awarded the contract to roll out services in each of the nominated communities in October 2007 and is required under the obligations of the contract to provide the following:

 Provide 16 Kimberley communities with a satellite broadband gateway

 Set up a wireless hot spot for each community

 Establish a Motorola canopy wireless service for each community

 Roll out services in one year (3 6 months)

 Provide local tenants with broadband services via this infrastructure

 Provide opportunities for Internet Service Providers to utilise this infrastructure to provide service choice

 Build a sustainable model based on anchor tenant subscription and business user subscription. Home user subscription will be an optional add-on, but is not crucial for model sustainability

 Utilise NewSat assets at Bayswater, to provide the foundation for broadband services in the Kimberley delivered direct to Perth

 Set up a local operating presence in the Kimberley for sales and marketing

 Use local installers for install and support of services

 Provide a core infrastructure for communities with poor communications

 Provide back up services (redundancy) for communities with conventional broadband services.

NewSat Limited requested a meeting with the Director of Engineering Services and theManager of Information Technology on 27 February 2008.

Discussions centred on the possibility of NewSat utilising the Shires Depot communications tower and donga to house satellite communications equipment as part of the Federal and State funded Kimberley Broadband Solutions Project. Since these discussions, NewSat has utilised space at the Port Authority

Wed 16 April, 2008

The Kimberley gets connected!
Portfolio: Industry and Enterprise


Broome and the remote Aboriginal communities of Ardyaloon, Bidyadanga, Djarindjin and Lombadina have been successfully connected to broadband.


A dozen more towns and communities will be connected over the next couple of months.

Industry and Enterprise Minister Francis Logan today announced that the $6million Kimberley Broadband Solutions Project was on target to be completed by the middle of this year.

The Kimberley Broadband Solutions Project was jointly funded by the Federal and State Governments and leading communications firm, NewSat Ltd.


Mr Logan made the announcement in Broome today, after yesterday visiting Ardyaloon and witnessing the benefits of the project.


Ardyaloon has become a wireless hotspot that will allow the community to access affordable broadband services, he said.

Like all the remote communities we are servicing, broadband will allow Ardyaloon to break the distance barrier and connect with the world.

It will make life easier by creating better education opportunities for children and expanding their employment opportunities for the future.

Another 12 locations will be connected over the next couple of months, providing better access to a range of facilities, including advanced health, distance education, online banking and e-business.

I congratulate NewSat Ltd for their work on the project and I am excited to see the project near completion and the advantages it will have for the communities.

NewSat chief operating officer Chris Frith said the companys Bayswater teleport would be the base for the project.

Transmissions will be sent via Bayswater to satellites positioned 36,000km above the equator and beamed back to the wireless hotspots set-up in the 16 remote Kimberley communities involved in the groundbreaking project, Mr Firth said.

The seamless combination of satellite communication and local hotspots will then allow the communities to access broadband on their computers and other telecommunication devices.

Using satellite communication provides tremendous opportunities for future economic and social expansion in the region and is the most affordable service for remote customers.

With Western Australian and Federal Government support of infrastructure, the communities will pay the same cost as the metropolitan area.

Ardyaloon Incorporated chief executive officer Keith Farlow said the telecommunications upgrade would allow Ardyaloon community members to create their own opportunities for a sustainable future.


It will help to improve the communitys well-being by creating opportunities that go well beyond what is available now - doing business will become easier, Mr Farlow said.

Kimberley MLA Carol Martin said the broadband project would provide valuable access for the communities and broaden the services available to its members.

Mrs Martin also announced that the State Government had donated 20 computers to the Ardyaloon community.

The computers are already having a positive impact in the community, she said.

Community members, particularly the younger people, are becoming more computer literate, thanks largely to the provision of basic computer courses.

The computer courses are provided under the Department of Industry and Resources IT Outback Skilling Project by the Department of Local Government and Regional Development and delivered by the local TAFE.

The other communities to be connected to broadband over the next couple of months are Derby, Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek, Kununurra, Wyndham, Yiyili, Oombulgurri, Warmun, Wirrimanu, Yungngora, Looma and Cambalin and Kalumburu.


The Kimberley Broadband Solutions Project was designed and is managed by the Department of Industry and Resources, with the support of the Commonwealth's Co-ordinated Communications Infrastructure Fund, Department of Housing and Works, Kimberley Development Commission, Department of Environment and Conservation, WA Police, Department of Local Government and Regional Development and the State Library of WA.

Minister's Office - 9222 8950

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Wireless getting hotter in the Kimberley
4 - 8 - 2009


People in the Kimberley region have a greater choice for internet access, with satellite company NewSat Limited (ASX:NWT) visiting the region to promote the availability of wireless hotspots, during August.

From the seventh of August, a NewSat representative will travel through the region from Broome to Kununurra promoting the wireless internet hotspot locations, and as a bonus NewSat is offering users an additional hour of internet access for free.*Terms & Conditions Apply.

NewSat CEO Adrian Ballintine said some of Australias most remote communities have been connected been connected to the same wireless services as the countrys largest cities.

Satellite broadband can provide people in the most remote regions of Australia with essential connectivity, and the inclusion of wireless access means more people can get connected, he said.

It has brought a whole new dimension to connectivity in these communities, and the benefits are not just for the locals.

Mr Ballintine said installing the wireless networks in remote communities would add value to the iconic tourist destinations throughout the Kimberleys.

These days, most tourists want to stay connected to their family, friends, and have work commitments during their holidays. Now that NewSat has connected communities throughout the Kimberley, tourist operators will be able to promote internet access as part of their tours.

The availability of wireless will also encourage tour operators to include the connected communities in their itineraries, adding to community economies, he said.

Details of NewSats scheduled visits to Kimberley communities:

7 August 2009 Moonlight Bay Suites Broome
9 August 2009 Derby Visitor Centre Derby
10 August 2009 Bushflight Derby
10 August 2009 Camballin Store Derby-West
11 August 2009 Noonkanbah Telecentre Yungngora
12 August 2009 Fitzroy Crossing Visitor Centre Fitzroy Crossing
12 August 2009 Yiyili - Marra Worra Worra Yiyili
14 August 2009 Halls Creek Visitor Centre Halls Creek
15 August 2009 Vaggs Liquor Store Wyndham
16 August 2009 Kunnunurra Hotel Kunnunurra
19/20 August 2009 One Arm Point Community Ardyaloon
20/21 August 2009 Lombardina Community Lombardina

The Kimberley Broadband Solutions Project was supported by the Australian Government Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, and the West Australian Government through the Department of Commerce.

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http://www.dbcde.gov.au/consultation_and_submissions/region
(remove this)
al_broadband_solutions/public_submissions_on_policy_and_fun
(and this)
ding_initiatives_to_provide_enhanced_broadband_to_rural_and
(and this)
_remote_areas/submissions/NewSat.pdf
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Western Australian State Government Submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Economics Inquiry into Australia's space science and industry sector


Kimberley Broadband Solutions Project

The $6million Kimberley Broadband Solutions Project is jointly funded by the Federal and State Governments and leading communications firm, NewSat Ltd.

The project was launched on 16 April 2008 by and was designed and is managed by the Department of Industry and Resources, with the support of the Commonwealth's Co-ordinated Communications Infrastructure Fund, Department of Housing and Works, Kimberley Development Commission, Department of Environment and Conservation, WA Police, Department of Local Government and Regional Development and the State Library of WA.


It ****successfully connects**** Broome and the remote Aboriginal communities of Ardyaloon, Bidyadanga, Djarindjin and Lombadina to broadband and is on target to be completed by the middle of this year.

It is anticipated that a dozen additional towns and communities will be connected over the coming months.

These includeDerby, Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek, Kununurra, Wyndham, Yiyiii, Oombulgurri,Warmun, Wirrimanu, Yungngora, Looma and Cambalin and Kalumburu.

NewSat's Bayswater teleport is the base for the project with transmissions sentvia Bayswater to satellites positioned 36,000km above the equator and beamed back to the wireless hotspots set-up in the 16 remote Kimberley communities The seamless combination of satellite communication and local hotspots allowsthe communities to access broadband on their computers and othertelecommunication devices.

Using satellite communication provides significant opportunities for futureeconomic and social expansion in the region and is the most affordable service forremote customers.Feedback on both of these projects to date has been very positive and both havecontributed towards improved health, education, justice and business servicesavailable to these indigenous communities


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The real reason Newsat did this project was for the government no longer to be able to say "how do we know you will deliver" IMHO

BUSINESS CASE STUDY 1: KIMBERLY REGION

Endorsed by the Federal and Western Australian Governments

$1.8 million dollar grant to build satellite wireless network awarded in November 2007 to NewSat

Network built on time/on budget and runs through remote Kimberley Region in WA

Provides coverage at locations within 16 communities in the region (ie Broome, Derby, Fitzroy Crossing, etc.)

Most of the 16 communities previously had no broadband access

People and Government Agencies within the communities can now access online banking, educational training, internet, email, VoIP and Video using the
NewSat infrastructure

NBN Test Case for NewSat satellite infrastructure in remote communities (NOTE NBN(

(From memory) In a peevious post the WA Govt gave Newsat a great reference.