Satellites Link Firefighters In Western Australia

Oct. 25, 2007

Applied Satellite Technology Australia Pty Ltd. (AST Australia) has won a major contract from the Australian Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) West Australian Fire Management Services to supply DEC with an Iridium-based satellite-communications (satcom) system with remote asset tracking for fire-fighting vehicles. AST Australia, an Iridium value- added reseller (VAR), will provide short-burst-data (SBD) service by means of the satellites. Equipment to be supplied under the contract includes a mix of Iridium 9601 SBD transceivers, Iridium 9505A satellite handsets, and Beam Communications RST620 satellite voice/data kits.

AST Australia (www.asta.net.au) Beam Communications Pty Ltd. (www.beamcomm.net) Iridium Satellite LLC (www.iridium.com)

About the Author

Jack Browne

Technical Contributor

Jack Browne, Technical Contributor, has worked in technical publishing for over 30 years. He managed the content and production of three technical journals while at the American Institute of Physics, including Medical Physics and the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. He has been a Publisher and Editor for Penton Media, started the firm’s Wireless Symposium & Exhibition trade show in 1993, and currently serves as Technical Contributor for that company's Microwaves & RF magazine. Browne, who holds a BS in Mathematics from City College of New York and BA degrees in English and Philosophy from Fordham University, is a member of the IEEE.