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Typical nbn® Sky Muster® Equipment Installation And Testing Update

March 7, 2016 7:17 am

As you may be aware, Activ8me has been selected as a nbn® Sky Muster® test partner. Testing the performance of the new satellite service, including the coverage of its beams is being undertaken by a number of our existing customers in regional areas across Australia. There are 180 Activ8me customers included in the trials;the customers were selected at the discretion of nbn.
Initial feedback from installed Activ8me field trial customers (those that are able to use the test service) has been very positive, with customers experiencing considerably increased speeds. I look forward to the rest of our customers being able to experience the improvements first hand as they begin to connect after commercial launch.
There are 101 narrow and wide spot beams across Australia, and the beams are being commissioned one by one. Once a beam is officially commissioned, we’ll be able to switch the customers within the beam and who are currently participating in the beam tests to a useable commercial nbn® Sky Muster® service. The first beams could be officially commissioned as early as this month and we’ll individually contact each beam test customer as this happens to notify them.
Let’s take a quick glance at a typical installation of the new nbn® Sky Muster® equipment. nbn Sky Muster

  • Over 90% of premises will get an 80cm dish with a 3W transmitter. Other variations are dependent on location and will be decided by nbn; they include a 120cm dish, a 180cm dish and a 6W transmitter.
  • The Sky Muster® Network Termination Device consumes around 40W continuous and is quite warm/hot to the touch.
  • An optional Wi-Fi router is recommended to create a wireless network (so multiple and wireless devices can connect to the internet). If your Wi-Fi router is more than 5-6 years old and has less than 300n Wi-Fi capability,you should consider upgrading your router. Note: 99% of ADSL routers are unsuitable for any nbn® service as they need to be able to function in router mode.
  • Consider adding a VoIP service to save on call costs by utilising the dedicated VoIP (TC-1) channel of 150kbps (2.5 times greater speed than the previous ISS VoIP service, offering improved voice quality). Note that copper fixed phone lines will be maintained in nbn® Sky Muster® satellite areas should you wish to maintain your existing fixed phone line. However it is expected that ultimately all ADSL services will be phased out.

nbn are still targeting a late-April commercial launch of nbn® Sky Muster® services. That means new service installations will start from this date and nbn will take a number of months to get through all the installations.While the wait for all installations to be completed by nbn may be frustrating for some customers, please rest assured we are here to help assist you through this process.
Please be aware that any nbn® Interim Satellite Service (ISS) customers not wishing to migrate before nbn decommission the ISS (currently scheduled for end February 2017) will be switched off at that time.
If you still have questions about Sky Muster my February blog may help. It provides answers to the common questions we have been asked.   Or call us on 13 22 88 and our nbn advice specialists in our 100% Australian Call Centre will be happy to advise you.
I urge you to take a look at our very competitive nbn® Sky Muster satellite plans
We are taking applications from existing as well as new customers. If you have friends and/or neighbours interested in a new satellite service, please share my blog and let them know that our plans have now been released. To sign-up call 13 22 88.
Activ8me customers who have already selected a Sky Muster plan and wish to change their plan and/or contract term prior to commercial launch will need to call 13 22 88. We will endeavour to meet all requests subject to compliance with the nbn® Fair Use Policy requirements.

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