Installation, testing, and commissioning of ViaSat antenna, RF, and baseband equipment is scheduled to begin in late 2013 following gateway civil works and building construction by NBN Co. The 10-gateway network is expected to be completed by November 2014 ahead of the scheduled 2015 launch of two NBN Co Ka-band satellites.

UGL is an NBN Co pre-approved vendor that is OH&S (Occupational Health & Safety) accredited by the Australian Federal Safety Commission (FSC). ViaSat will train and supervise about a dozen UGL workers who will team up to do the work at each location.

“UGL brings a qualified and talented team to support our installations. Their technical know-how, experience and FSC-certification were key factors in our decision to select UGL to build out the Australian gateways,” said Joe Ducey, ground segment deployment manager at ViaSat in Melbourne. “We’re looking forward to working with them on this next step towards providing exceptional broadband service to all Australians.”

NBN Co is building a wholesale-only, national broadband network, which is one of the most comprehensive broadband plans in the world and is designed to deliver high-speed Internet to all Australians no matter where they live.