OneWeb and Telstra have agreed to develop and manage three teleports in Australia over a ten-year period to provide ground support for the satellite operator’s growing fleet of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) birds in the Southern Hemisphere.

The operator stated in a joint statement that the project begins with the construction of a ground station in Darwin Tivendale, which is set to become active in July. Later this year, two sites in Perth, Western Australia, are expected to be completed. Telstra will offer satellite gateway, monitoring, and quality assurance services for OneWeb as part of the contract.

Telstra Americas’ VP of wholesale and satellite, Vish Vishwanathan, said the company worked closely with OneWeb on site selection and construction standards.

“Teleports are complex sites involving access to secure and resilient infrastructure and on-the-ground expertise, which Telstra has provided to OneWeb throughout this project.”

Michele Franci, chief of delivery and operations at OneWeb, argued LEO “technology is transforming the global connectivity landscape” by “creating new business opportunities” and “giving more businesses, communities and governments the internet access they need for progress.”

“More connectivity options benefit everyone and our approach in establishing strategic partnerships with experienced providers like Telstra is core to how we deliver the OneWeb mission.”

The company announced a Memorandum of Understanding in early March to investigate new connectivity services for Australia and the Asia Pacific.