New Zealand and Australia sign contract with Inmarsat for new SouthPAN satellite service

$187.4m contract will see delivery of world-class satellite positioning service on one of Inmarsat’s three new I-8 satellites from 2027.

With the 26 May contract signing, Southern Positioning Augmentation Network (SouthPAN) partners Geoscience Australia and Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand are one step closer to worldclass satellite positioning for the southern hemisphere.

The new SouthPAN satellite service (SouthPAN GEO Payload 01, known as SGP-01) on the Inmarsat I-8 satellite will replace the Inmarsat I 4F1 satellite, which was acquired as part of the SouthPAN test-bed trial.

SouthPAN provides accurate, reliable and instant positioning services across all of Australia and New Zealand’s land and maritime zones without the need for mobile phone or internet coverage. It will improve positioning accuracy to as little as 10 centimetres. Early Open Services have been available since September 2022.

Covering the Asia Pacific region, SouthPAN signals are expected to broadcast services over the new Inmarsat I-8 satellite navigation system for 15 years, commencing from 2027.

A second new SouthPAN satellite service is also being procured to provide redundancy and resilience in SouthPAN that will ensure continuous broadcast of SouthPAN services, enabling the development and use of critical applications relying on SouthPAN.

These satellites will also be a critical part of a safetyof-life-certified SouthPAN for aviation and other applications, scheduled for 2028. These services will be accessed or used by end users engaged in operations where life could be at risk, like landing an aircraft.

“SouthPAN represents extraordinary potential for the region,” said Todd McDonell, President, Inmarsat Global Government. “It can save lives by enabling precision safety tracking, help farmers improve productivity through automated device tracking, or even support transport management systems of the future.”

“We have a long history providing services for Governments in the moments that matter most, and we are delighted that our Inmarsat-8 satellites will continue that legacy well into the 2040s.”

The ground segment of SouthPAN including the network of ground reference stations and satellite uplink facilities is being built by Lockheed Martin Australia as part of a separate contract with Geoscience Australia and LINZ.

SouthPAN will be fully operational by 2028, and combined with other technologies the network will support innovation benefiting many sectors and industries including transport, agriculture, construction, forestry, and horticulture.

Satellite telecommunications company Inmarsat provides telephone and data services to users worldwide via fourteen geostationary telecommunications satellites. On 8 November 2021, a deal was announced between Inmarsat’s owners and Viasat, in which Viasat was to purchase Inmarsat. The acquisition was completed in May 2023.