Catherine King, Federal Member for Ballarat, today welcomed the successful launch of the NBN satellite from French Guiana this morning.
The ‘Sky Muster’ satellite will enable NBN to deliver broadband service to more than 200,000 rural and regional Australians – with a coverage area that will range as far as Norfolk, Christmas, Macquarie and Cocos islands.
“Residents in many parts of the Ballarat district have had to make do with poor internet access, or no access at all, for too long,”
“The launch of the NBN satellite Sky Muster will help bridge the digital divide between the most distant areas of Australia, and really help our regional communities participate in Australia’s growing digital economy.” Ms. King said.
After fighting tooth and nail against these satellites when in Opposition, calling the satellites a “Rolls-Royce solution” and “wasteful spending”, Malcolm Turnbull now calls these satellites a “game changer.”
“The launch of the Sky Muster will allow homes, businesses, schools, hospitals and more to access reliable digital communication no matter where they are.” Ms. King continued.
“Fortunately, Labor signed the contracts for delivery of these satellites before the Liberal National Government was sworn in so all Australians can access better services.
“The launch of these satellites is a concrete example of a Labor Government delivering for Ballarat and our community.”
This morning’s launch was streamed online – a video can be found at www.nbnco.com.au/skymuster