Satellite terminal connects the black spots

Believed to be the world’s most energy-efficient of its kind, the BeSAT100 satellite communications terminalhas a compact flat-panelled antenna system that can operate off-grid on a portable battery. 

It can be easily transported and make connections with satellites in minutes, making it ideal for reconnecting areas cut off during a natural disaster or blackout.

“In initial satellite tracking field tests, our new terminal demonstrated peak power consumption that is significantly lower than current state-of-the-art satellite terminals, while matching their connectivity strength,” says Distinguished Professor Karu Esselle who is leading the UTS team developing the innovative technology.

“This level of energy efficiency makes it more environmentally friendly and cheaper to run, allowing us to run our unit off smaller batteries and make it even easier to transport to hard-to-reach locations."

"The terminal can access the the OneWeb Low Earth Orbit satellite network. It can operate off batteries or solar panels for many hours and sometimes even around the clock in areas where there’s no power grid,” Professor Esselle says.

The terminal is being commercialised by Australian radio technology company Benelec Pty Ltd.

It was awarded $1.15 million in funding from the Australian Government’s Telecommunications Disaster Resilience Innovation program in 2024 to manufacture a ready-to-sell prototype and commercialise it.

The project team had previously received $1.1 million to develop the existing prototype through the NSW Government’s Small Business Innovation and Research Program administered by the Office of the NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer.

The team was recognised as the Academic Research Team of the Year at the 2025 Australian Space Awards.

“At the end of day, we want a terminal that’s practical to build in Australia almost entirely, cost-effective and can be marketed for use in remote communities across Australia,” says Benelec General Manager, David Benchoam.

"This makes it an ideal solution for remote Indigenous communities, for example. We worked with groups in the Torres Strait in the past to find solutions for them to access high-speed data when they don’t have any. This unit could be perfect for their needs.”

“For people working in emergency services, they can have a terminal on the back of a trailer which they can pull up to a location where there’s a bushfire or flood and it’ll give them access to a network where there is none.”

“We also see applications in mining and agriculture where a fixed unit can be placed in remote locations that need reliable data access.”