SouthPAN services coverage. Photo: SouthPAN

Viasat has received a contract to provide satellite services for Australia and New Zealand’s Southern Positioning Augmentation Network (SouthPAN). It is an augmentation network that  provides precise positioning and navigation services to sectors including aviation, maritime, agriculture, surveying, and emergency response.

The award from Geoscience Australia and Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) expands on a previous SouthPAN award and has an incremental value of $214 million Australian dollars ($138 million). Inmarsat, now part of Viasat, previously received a contract in 2023 to deliver a satellite payload for SouthPAN. Under this new award, Viasat will continue services with its in-orbit satellites and provide a new payload. 

“This agreement secures a reliable satellite service and ground infrastructure, delivering precise positioning across Australia and its maritime zones – enabling industries to innovate where accuracy is critical,” said Geoscience Australia’s CEO Melissa Harris. “From farms to freight, users will be able to access free services that are accurate and timely.”