Whether you’re a mining or drilling and exploration company, or another remotely operating business, having a reliable connection at all times is a considerable challenge spoke of too often.
On-site or off-site, doesn’t matter. If there’s an outage, the consequences can be devastating – not just financially but legally as well.
Therefore, a “good enough” connection isn’t really “good enough” – it must be flexible, scalable and reliable, not just one that fits your budget.
Tailored data solutions for your remote based company
As one of only two satellite owner-operators in Australia, Orion is an innovator in satellite communication technology for drilling & exploration and mining companies – both remote and moving sites.
Orion understand that there’s not a single solution that will work for every company’s need – that’s why they listen to your requirements and tailor your connectivity solution to suit your business
And with no third-party involvement, they can provide you with fast implementation that help your company stay connected all the time through 3 different types of data connections.
Choosing a data connection that works for you
As we know that no one size fits all – what works for one site might not work for another.
That’s why Orion’s connection experts will listen to you and create the connectivity solution based on your unique wants and needs.
There are three data connection options they offer:
- Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) – suitable if you need to connect multiple sites with a more predictable bandwidth
- Demand Assigned Multiple Access (DAMA) – suitable if you don’t want to share the bandwidth through your multiple sites
- Single Channel Per Carrier (SCPC) – suitable if you need robust network connectivity at a single site
Spirit of Tasmania increases web connection 100x times at sea with Orion
The shipping company Spirit of Tasmania has run ferries across the Bass Straight since 2002. With over 430,000 passengers crossing each year, the company demanded a stable satellite connection, even while out at sea.
Since their passengers would be at sea for up to 28 days, they needed a reliable internet connection to stay in touch with family and friends – something which SoT’s existing solution couldn’t deliver.
Often, the connection would drop out, which caused frustration among the passengers and the crew.
After seamlessly implementing the new Orion geo-remote connectivity service within just one month, the coverage and capacity increased by 100 times that of the old provider – improving passengers’ experience and boosting staff morale.
“The fact that Orion are willing to be flexible when needed meant they really took the time to understand our needs,” says Spirit of Tasmania’s CIO, Simon Pearce. “Their staff are thorough and efficient and their connectivity service is outstanding.”
The success of this project earned Orion the 2020 CRN Impact Award in the Network Evolution category and is a compelling example, not only of innovation in the satellite technology arena, but also of how our satellite solutions really work for mining and other remotely operated organisations. Just because you’re off grid doesn’t mean we won’t have you covered.
Orion partners with UHP – puts customer in control with brand-new customer console software
Listening and responding to customer feedback has enabled Orion to find smarter, better ways of providing connectivity for their customers.
Orion use their expertise and innovation to help our customer’s reach new heights. The development of the consumer console, Horizon as part of a major infrastructure upgrade project is the perfect example of this and it helped them to the 2021 CRN Impact Award for Network Evolution.
When the previous Orion hub was nearing retirement, the Orion leadership team saw an opportunity. Rather than replacing the older hub with a new one, the Orion leadership decided to evolve the old network through a partnership with UHP Networks – while simultaneously addressing the issue of high internet connection costs for remote areas.
After migrating to UHP, the Orion team was able to give the customer complete connectivity control through the in-house development of an innovative customer console called “Horizon.”
This customer console is specifically designed for businesses in remote parts of Australia change their satellite connection based on when they need it.
Over a six-month trial-period Orion worked with new and existing customers; keeping customers informed about the impending migration; and conducting migration outside business hours to minimise disruption.
The result is a pay-per-use consumer console, meaning customers only need purchase the bandwidth they need, when they need it.
“No other satellite provider delivers that level of flexibility,” says Orion’s managing director, Shannon Fisher.
The upgrade has put control in the hands of our customers – they can ensure their organisation has the bandwidth it needs, regardless of any peaks and troughs.
One beneficiary of the new UHP system is Strike Drilling, an exploration and mining company. “Working in the exploration drilling centre, we rely heavily on effective communications,” says Operations Manager Craig Chitty. “Orion have provided a robust and effective system over many years, and the recent UHP upgrades have significantly improved the stability and function of these systems.”
Innovate with Orion and reap the benefits for your business
Not only does Orion understand bandwidth and disaster recovery and that scalable and reliable connectivity is essential. The team are constantly innovating and working on new solutions based on their customers’ needs. Solutions that are winning awards and transforming businesses that would otherwise struggle in remote and off-grid locations.
By working with Orion, you’ll have a partner for the long-term, not just for your next project.