Business development manager for Qbit, John Williams, has described this technology as a game changer for an industry that often struggles to get efficient connectivity to their remote sites of operation. However, the Starlink network is a long way from being reliable enough to be a standalone service.
“I’m sure Elon is over the moon that he basically owns space, but it’s proving difficult to furnish,” John said.
In the meantime, we are using SD-WAN technology to help fill in the gaps. Starlink satellites are called LEO or (Low Earth Orbit) satellites. Due to their closer proximity to the planet, they suffer from much lower latency speeds or lag than traditional geostationary satellites. The latency is almost on par with 4G, which means that for the first time, these services can be bonded together successfully and used simultaneously.
The SD-WAN devices allow us to set up the Starlink and 4G services as either bonded together to create 1 large data pipe or as failover for the periods where gaps currently exist in the Starlink network. What this provides is a faster and more reliable internet connection for people in remote areas of Australia. The big surprise in all of this is that with Starlink pricing starting at only $139/month for unlimited data, it’s so much more affordable than previous solutions, and the speeds are also far superior.
There are several ways that Qbit can deploy Starlink that businesses will find attractive because it not only enhances the speed and reliability on site but also enhances cybersecurity protocols for remote locations, which is increasingly important.
For reliability, we can
- Bond it with 4G or other low-latency internet connections to use them simultaneously.
- Use 4G or NBN satellite as failover for the Starlink.
- Starlink could be a failover for your current connection i.e., fibre.
- Give priority to phone calls.
- Use Starlink Premium with its higher speed and reliability.
For Cybersecurity, we can
- Bring multiple sites behind one firewall in the cloud
- Limit access to certain types of websites
- Geo blocks certain countries
These are just a few of the options that Qbit has tried and tested for their remote clients. Qbit has been recognised as one of the top Managed Service Providers by Design Rush.
To find out more you can contact John Williams from Qbit at johnw@qbit.com.au. Call us on (08) 6364 0600 or send us an email at sales@qbit.com.au.
