IPSTAR: A connection across the digital divide

Launched in 2005, IPSTAR is an internet service provider dedicated to helping rural Australians stay connected. The company has a wealth of experience in satellite infrastructure that enables it to provide an exceptional service and offer customers bigger plans, better speeds and larger download limits at affordable rates. IPSTAR initially maintained its own satellite service when the company launched in early 2005, connecting thousands of rural Australians to the digital world for the first time. In 2012, IPSTAR partnered with the NBN to offer customers another level of service.

“Our partnership with NBN came about because we wanted to provide our customers with choices for their broadband services,” says Managing Director Shannon Fisher. “The partnership allows IPSTAR customers to access the latest technology that delivers improved speeds, data allowances and affordability.”

IPSTAR’s NBN Sky Muster Satellite service has been designed to provide faster and better broadband connectivity, allowing those living in rural areas to stay connected not just with each other and their urban cousins, but to the world.

And for new customers who aren’t sure how to choose the plan, speed and bandwidth that suits them best, IPSTAR has a team of professionals to help guide them through the setup process.

“A principle that we live by and regularly discuss internally is the need to educate our customers, whether this is to help them identify the right plan or to understand the importance of selecting the right router to suit their usage,” says Shannon.

“An important note for new customers is to realise that, similar to your PC or mobile device, there is a need to replace your broadband and Wi-Fi router on a regular basis to extract the benefits from the latest technology. Updates to the technology allow for better speeds and connections for video streaming sessions and services (such as Netflix) that were previously not so common.”

Apart from servicing rural homes and businesses, IPSTAR also offers corporate solutions for larger farms, and is able to tailor its services to support businesses through a dedicated team operating under the Orion brand. One such unique service is prioritising and optimising performances of critical websites or farm applications – ideal for the fast-growing number of smart or automated farms.

“Our goal is to satisfy our customers’ needs and to overcome their challenges by providing solutions that are focused on their specific business requirements,” says Shannon. “These requirements can range from broadband connectivity to cloud and infrastructure solutions, IT performance and security solutions.”

While IPSTAR services a range of customers from SMEs to multinational corporations and governments, it is first and foremost a rural, regional and remote area telecoms service provider.

“We are not distracted by our urban cousins and are focused on our rural customers,” says Shannon. “We continually invest in research and development to identify how we can improve our services and meet the needs of our customers.

“We are entering an exciting period of technological change, with the early deployment of 5G networks, IoT development, robotics, automation, artificial intelligence and new LEO satellites that will provide our customers with great opportunity. We are looking to help drive innovation with access to high speed, reliable, cost effective and readily available solutions.”

The IPSTAR Guarantee – if a new customer isn’t satisfied with IPSTAR’s service, they can cancel it within 30 days without any additional charges.

Originally featured in The Australian Farmer Volume II