Sky Muster

As part of the Australian National Broadband Network (NBN) scheme, NBN Co Limited operates two Sky Muster satellites in GEO orbit, each providing 101 Ka-band spot beams for a combined capacity of 185 Gbps. The satellites provide coverage of regional areas of Australia which could not be reached cost-effectively by fiber or existing terrestrial infrastructure. Download speeds of up to 25 Mbps are provided with upload speeds of up to 5 Mbps. Uplink frequencies are 27–31 GHz; downlink frequencies are 17.7–22 GHz.

Sky Muster I (NBN-CO 1A) was launched into 140°E and became operational in April 2015. Sky Muster II (NBN-CO 1B) which has a mass of more than 6,400kg and increased the capacity to 135 Gbps, was launched in October 2016 into 145°E. Services began in January 2016. The number of satellite service subscribers peaked in September 2021 at 112,600. Since then, the number of subscribers has been slowly dropping.

From 1 June 2023, NBN's Plus Premium internet service allows customers to access unlimited data at speeds up to 100 Mbps as it looks to complete with rival Starlink, following reports that more than 200,000 customers had signed with Starlink in Australia compared to NBN's 84,000.

Starlink's average download speed is 192 Mbps across all hours, decreasing to 165.5 Mbps during busy weeknight periods, Sky Muster's maximum plan, which offers its users speeds of up to 100 Mbps, is more than 50 per cent lower. The average latency is 664.9 milliseconds for Sky Muster compared to 29.8 milliseconds for Starlink.

Telstra and Optus have also signed on to the service, circumventing the NBN, allowing their customers to make calls and access the internet via Starlink's satellite services.

Both Sky Muster satellites are due to be decommissioned in the early 2030s. In August 2025, NBN Co announced plans to offer wholesale Amazon Leo broadband services to more than 300,000 premises within their existing footprint.