Rising concern at 'risky' rural reliance on foreign satellite technology

Topic:Telecommunications Services Industry Councils in western Queensland are frustrated that television towers are breaking down more often and are harder to fix. (ABC Western Qld: Jay Carstens) Phone, internet and council-run TV services across western Queensland are shifting to satellite technology as ground infrastructure rapidly ages. Industry experts and rural advocates warn it may lead to an over-reliance on technology that is often foreign-owned and can falter during extreme weather. Experts say the government needs to create a clear road map to manage the technology transition in rural Australia. Link copiedShareShare articleAlong the Capricorn Highway at Jericho's only pub, owner Robert Stubbs is tired of telling travellers the TV does not work. "It's embarrassing because they come in and say, 'Oh, our TV's not working, we want to watch the football' … and they can't because we've got no reception," Mr Stubbs said. Like many in the state's west, he has turned to a satellite service to fix his connectivity woes. Robert Stubbs says it can be embarrassing when guests complain about poor connectivity. (ABC Western Qld: Jay Carstens) It comes as aging, council-run television towers in rural parts of Queensland deteriorate, resulting in higher repair and maintenance costs for ratepayers. In western Queensland, the growing problem has led the Barcoo and Paroo shires, excluding Cunnamulla, to shut down their towers and move residents to satellite TV. The Quilpie Shire is expected to follow later this year. Robert Stubbs, like many in the outback, has made the switch to Starlink to work around the dying signal in Jericho. (ABC Western Qld: Jay Carstens) But industry experts and rural advocates warn the changeover, compounded by the looming shutdown of land-based internet in the bush, may lead to an over-reliance on foreign-owned satellite technology. In western Queensland, the remote Bulloo Shire, which borders New South Wales and South Australia, has had satellite TV for at least 20 years. But in 2025, its northern neighbour, the Barcoo Shire, was the first in the region to switch off its terrestrial TV signal and transition to satellite TV after a flood wiped out the retransmission sites. "Prior to the flood, we'd spent about a quarter of a million dollars just in Jundah in eight months, having maintenance done," Mayor Sally O'Neil said. Sally O'Neil says the council made the decision to turn off the television towers after floods damaged infrastructure last year. (ABC Western Qld: Grace Nakamura) The mayor said the council had previously lobbied the government for funding to upgrade its towers, but "got nowhere". She said that after the flood, the council secured funding to install Viewer Access Satellite Television (VAST) boxes. Traditionally a government service for remote properties, the VAST transmission box connects households to an Optus-run satellite, giving access to free-to-air television. The Barcoo, Paroo and Quilpie shires have paid for or will offer VAST infrastructure to be installed in homes. Free TV Australia said councils had been responsible for TV towers since 2011 in areas where it was not commercially viable for TV networks to provide signals. Technology strategy director Giles Tanner said the difficulty of maintaining terrestrial TV infrastructure was a result of decisions made more than a decade ago "coming home to roost". "Councils did this job on the cheap … rather than paying the very high cost of broadcaster quality retransmissions, they actually tended to get consultants to come in and do a really cheap, low-powered solution," Mr Tanner said. "That created long-term problems about reliability and cost of maintenance, which are now coming home to roost as some councils increasingly see this not as a core business." Emergency services have also started to switch over to satellite services such as Starlink. (ABC Western Qld: Hannah Walsh) Mr Tanner expressed concern about the increasing cost of land-based transmission which pushed more people to satellite coverage. "I think there would be considerable risks in over-reliance on any one technology, particularly satellite technology when it isn't necessarily owned or controlled in Australia," he said. Mr Tanner said a coordinated, national "road map" between industry, government and audiences could offer clarity. Better Internet for Rural, Regional and Remote (BIRRR) Australia said a long-term communications plan in the bush involving regional consumers with lived experience was vital. The call from co-founder Kristy Sparrow comes as Telstra prepares rural customers for the shutdown of CAN radio and ADSL internet services in 2027. Kristy Sparrow says satellite services can have limitations such as rain fade and a reliance on electricity. (Supplied: Lisa Alexander Photography) Ms Sparrow said it could put rural communities in the "risky" position of solely relying on satellite technology to connect w

Rising concern at 'risky' rural reliance on foreign satellite technology

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