Helping customers transition from USO Satellite services

For many customers in remote Australia, the home phone has been a dependable connection to family, friends and essential services for years. The technology behind some of those services is now ageing, so we’re preparing for the next chapter: moving customers from older Universal Service Obligation (USO) satellite services to newer technology, one property at a time.

What this means for customers

For impacted customers, we’ll contact each customer directly before the end the year, understand what will work at their property and explain the recommended pathway. To proceed with the migration, customers will need to talk to us and place an order for their replacement service within their notified timeframe. 

Why are these services changing?  

Australia’s size and landscape have always made connecting remote homes and businesses a unique challenge. 

For just under 30 years, Telstra has relied on a range of satellites operated by different providers to deliver reliable home phone services to customers in some of Australia's most remote locations. The current satellite supporting these services is IS-19, a geostationary satellite owned by global satellite operator SES. As IS-19 reaches the end of its operational life, we'll be supporting customers to transition to alternative services to ensure they can continue to stay connected.

How are customers currently connected?

Some customers will have had equipment directly installed at their home, while other customers may not realise that their home voice service is supplied via satellite, as they still have a copper ‘lead in’ connection to their home which then connects to a remote network site. 

Whether a customer is currently being served by “on house” equipment, or via a remote network site, Telstra will need to install new equipment at the customer’s premises to connect to either a modern satellite or fixed wireless network solution.

For customers, the equipment on the roof or inside the home may look different, but what matters stays the same: being able to pick up the phone and connect with the people and services they rely on.

Will customers need to supply power for the new equipment? 

Yes. Modern telecommunications equipment needs a reliable power supply at the home or business where it is installed. If there is a blackout of mains power and there is no working backup power available, the equipment—and therefore the voice service—may also stop working. 

Customers are responsible for providing and maintaining power - supply suitable for their premises and needs. We’ll explain the power requirements for the new equipment before the change so customers can consider arrangements such as a compatible battery backup or generator. For customers who live in an area that experiences outages, or who rely heavily on their home phone, we understand this is a big change. Every customer’s circumstances are different and each customer will need to consider what’s suitable for their needs.  

Which service could customers move to? 

No two properties are exactly alike. One customer may have a clear view of the sky and be well suited to a modern satellite service. Another may be within reach of reliable fixed wireless coverage. That’s why we won’t take a one-size-fits-all approach: we’ll assess the location, coverage, site conditions and equipment needs before recommending a pathway.

Options being considered include: 

• Satellite voice solutions, including Starlink-enabled options, which may be suitable where terrestrial coverage is limited and there is a suitable view of the sky.  

• Fixed wireless voice solutions, which may be preferable where coverage, signal strength and local conditions support a reliable service connected to Telstra’s 4G network or NBN’s Fixed Wireless network.  While a property may be located within a mobile coverage area, service eligibility for a fixed wireless voice service is assessed at the individual address level and depends on factors such as signal quality, terrain, vegetation, network capacity and installation suitability.

What will happen before the service changes? 

The journey starts with a conversation. We’ll contact each customer directly, talk through how they use their service and explain what is available at their address. From there, we’ll recommend an option and give them time to understand and prepare for the move.

Before any change, we’ll explain:  

• the recommended service for the property 

• the equipment and installation requirements including relevant power arrangements

• the expected timing and any site preparation needed. 

If the property needs extra preparation, we’ll work through it with the customer before the transition.  

What happens next? 

From the first conversation through to installation and activation, customers will receive notice and support. 

We will be contacting impacted customers directly between September and December this year, ahead of their migration window, and customers will have 90 days to talk to us and place an order for their replacement service. 

It is important that customers respond to these notifications.  

If a customer wishes to migrate and maintain their service, an order must be placed before the notified disconnection date. While we will maintain the existing service until the migration is completed, customers who do not place an order by the required date will have their service disconnected and it will no longer be available for use. We recognise some customers may have unique requirements and encourage them to contact us early so we can work through available options and support.

Ultimately, this is about carrying an important service into the future. The technology may change, but our focus remains constant: keeping Australians connected, wherever they live.