Defence is looking for a cost-effective way to use Starlink to improve the quality of life of personnel serving on its roughly 50 naval vessels.
The project, which is expected to run for about two years, would cover the acquisition, integration, and installation of new hardware, software, and network infrastructure.
The “enhanced quality-of-life internet rollout” program aims to upgrade the Navy’s current on-board systems by providing “enhanced ship-to-shore connectivity for personnel at sea, transforming their ability to maintain contact with their families, community, and administrative resources while deployed”.
Also under exploration is an internet service that that can support content from platforms such as Netflix and Foxtel, though not live streaming.
Documentation suggests that the Navy already has Starlink on vessels: comprising two “flat high performance kits per vessel on 5TB maritime plans”, language that aligns to Starlink Business’s maritime products.
But there appear to be concerns about reliability and cost, with Defence indicating that a lot of manual effort is involved in managing the service.
“To achieve cost efficiency the Commonwealth of Australia is upgrading and downgrading and pausing plans based on vessel activity,” it states.
Defence said it wants to understand “from industry what contract models can drive down cost”.
It also wants real-time visibility into “how much data has been consumed” by personnel on vessels.
One option Defence wants to explore is the possibility of “pooled data plans” or other “consumption management” tooling, which could allow it to more flexibly operate a fleet of Starlink devices than having set data quotas per vessel.
At this point, Defence isn’t seeking to buy a specific solution, but rather to scope what its options are.
Comment was being sought from a Defence spokesperson at the time of publication.