Trials of fixed voice services have been completed as part of the Australian Government's work on modernising universal telecommunications services arrangements. The trials collected data to help inform whether Low Earth Orbit satellites (LEOSats) are capable of delivering high quality voice services, and to what extent weather or other climatic conditions influence performance.
The Australian Government contracted Scyne Advisory to conduct trials in 50 regional and remote regions across Australia. At each trial site a LEOSat service was trialled, with NBN Co fixed wireless or satellite services trialled in parallel to provide a comparison.
Information about the weather and climate conditions at each trial site was recorded to better understand how these technologies performed over time in a variety of different conditions, including during the wet season in Northern Australia.
While there is significant stakeholder interest in the promise of LEOSats for providing greater options for voice services in remote areas of Australia, we recognise that services need to be robust and reliable. The trials helped provide real-world data on the performance of LEOSats in supporting reliable voice services.
Data from trials
An interactive dashboard with data collected from November 2024 to July 2025 is available. The dashboard provides an overall summary of results for key measures of voice service performance, as well as allowing results to be reviewed against local weather conditions recorded at each testing site.
FAQs
Where were the trial sites?
The table below sets out an overview of trial sites.
| State / territory | Region (ABS Statistical Area Level 2) | Closest township | Technology tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | Gundagai | Adjungbilly | NBN Sky Muster, Starlink |
| NSW | Yass Surrounds | Binalong | NBN Fixed Wireless, Starlink |
| NSW | Casino | Casino | NBN Fixed Wireless, Starlink |
| NSW | Deniliquin | Deniliquin | NBN Fixed Wireless, Starlink |
| NSW | Moree Surrounds | Mungindi | NBN Sky Muster, Starlink |
| NSW | Taree Surrounds | Upper Lansdowne | NBN Fixed Wireless, Starlink |
| NSW | Far West | Wilcannia | NBN Sky Muster, Starlink |
| NSW | Mudgee Surrounds—West | Cullenbone | NBN Sky Muster, Starlink |
| NT | Alligator | Batchelor | NBN Sky Muster, Starlink |
| NT | Humpty Doo | Humpty Doo | NBN Fixed Wireless, Starlink |
| NT | Petermann - Simpson | Petermann | NBN Sky Muster, Starlink |
| NT | Katherine | Uralla | NBN Sky Muster, Starlink |
| QLD | Clermont | Clermont | NBN Sky Muster, Starlink |
| QLD | Woodford—D'Aguilar | Delaney's Creek | NBN Fixed Wireless, Starlink |
| QLD | Croydon - Etheridge | Georgetown | NBN Sky Muster, Starlink |
| QLD | Carpentaria | Gregory | NBN Sky Muster, Starlink |
| QLD | Mareeba | Mareeba | NBN Fixed Wireless, Starlink |
| QLD | Tara | Meandarra | NBN Sky Muster, Starlink |
| QLD | Barcaldine—Blackall | Tambo | NBN Sky Muster, Starlink |
| QLD | Banana | Valentine Plains | NBN Sky Muster, Starlink |
| SA | Berri | Berri | NBN Fixed Wireless, Starlink |
| SA | Ceduna | Ceduna | NBN Fixed Wireless, Starlink |
| SA | Nuriootpa | Nuriootpa | NBN Fixed Wireless, Starlink |
| SA | Outback | Oodnadatta | NBN Sky Muster, Starlink |
| SA | Moonta | Paramatta | NBN Fixed Wireless, Starlink |
| SA | Naracoorte Surrounds | Struan | NBN Sky Muster, Starlink |
| SA | Peterborough—Mount Remarkable | Wilmington | NBN Fixed Wireless, Starlink |
| TAS | Triabunna - Bicheno | Coles Bay | NBN Fixed Wireless, Starlink |
| TAS | Cygnet | Cygnet | NBN Fixed Wireless, Starlink |
| TAS | St Helens - Scamander | Fingal | NBN Sky Muster, Starlink |
| TAS | Northern Midlands | Ross | NBN Fixed Wireless, Starlink |
| TAS | Sheffield—Railton | Sheffield | NBN Fixed Wireless, Starlink |
| TAS | West Coast | Strahan | NBN Fixed Wireless, Starlink |
| VIC | Mount Baw Baw Region | Baw Baw | NBN Sky Muster, Starlink |
| VIC | Southern Grampians | Dunkeld | NBN Fixed Wireless, Starlink |
| VIC | Bright—Mount Beauty | Falls Creek | NBN Sky Muster, Starlink |
| VIC | Paynesville | Goon Nure | NBN Sky Muster, Starlink |
| VIC | Gordon | Gordon | NBN Fixed Wireless, Starlink |
| VIC | Stawell | Halls Gap | NBN Fixed Wireless, Starlink |
| VIC | Golden Plains—South | Inverleigh | NBN Fixed Wireless, Starlink |
| WA | Wagin | Cuballing | NBN Fixed Wireless, Starlink |
| WA | Gingin—Dandaragan | Karakin | NBN Sky Muster, Starlink |
| WA | Leinster—Leonora | Leonora | NBN Sky Muster, Starlink |
| WA | Meekatharra | Murchison | NBN Sky Muster, Starlink |
| WA | Ashburton | Onslow | NBN Sky Muster, Starlink |
| WA | Pemberton | Windy Harbour | NBN Sky Muster, Starlink |
| WA | Roebuck | Roebuck | NBN Sky Muster, Starlink |
| Offshore | Christmas Island | Christmas Island | NBN Sky Muster, Starlink |
| Offshore | King Island | King Island | NBN Sky Muster, Starlink |
| Offshore | Palm Island | Palm Island | NBN Sky Muster, Starlink |
How were trial locations selected?
All trial sites were located outside the NBN fixed line footprint in regional and remote regions where baseline service quality is most important because fewer services options are available.
Some stakeholders have raised concerns that service quality of alternative technologies could potentially be impacted by harsh climatic conditions such as heavy rain, as well as issues such as heat, dust, and humidity. As a result, the trials were conducted so that services were tested across locations that represent a range of different weather and climatic conditions that can be experienced in regional and remote areas.
How long did the trials run for?
The trials ran from November 2024 to July 2025. This allowed for consideration of how services performed over the northern Australia wet season.
Did the trials consider consumer feedback and issues such as ease of installation, equipment setup and consumer support?
While issues such as setup and consumer support are clearly important, the primary goal of these trials was to consider the performance and reliability of underlying services.
What technologies were tested?
Many stakeholders have expressed interest in the promise of LEOSats to cost-effectively support universal service outcomes across large areas of Australia.
Due to their lower altitude orbits, LEOSat services generally have significantly lower latency compared to geostationary satellites, which is important in supporting quality voice communications.
The trials tested Starlink's LEOSat service (as the only current LEOSat service available at the time for residential services), and also tested NBN Co fixed wireless and satellite services in parallel to provide a comparison.
What testing methodology was used?
At each site, automated testing occurred on a 24/7 basis. Tests were not continuous but were conducted with calls attempted in 15-minute blocks to provide robust longitudinal data while balancing a manageable dataset size.