AACo Managed Satellite Data Pool
Connecting remote cattle stations across northern Australia into a single managed Layer 2 network.
10 Mbps UploadPer-station Layer 2 data channel
About The Client
Established in 1824, the Australian Agricultural Company (AACo) is Australia’s largest integrated cattle and beef producer, owning and operating a herd of around 400,000 head across properties, feedlots and farms comprising around 6.4 million hectares of land in Queensland and the Northern Territory.
From remote station to corporate network
Hover over (or tap) each stage to see what it does.
- Station sitesManaged LAN, router, firewall & Wi-FiEach station received a managed router, firewall, UPS and indoor and outdoor Wi-Fi access points, all monitored and managed by MarchNet.
- Ku-band satelliteOrion satellite terminalsOrion satellite modems and Ku-band satellite terminals connect each station to the satellite service.
- MarchNet Satellite PoolCentralised aggregation & routingAll stations share a single managed satellite data pool, with centralised routing, security and network management replacing standalone services.
- NextDC BrisbaneDedicated VLAN per stationThe pool terminates into MarchNet infrastructure at NextDC Brisbane, with a dedicated VLAN for each station and destination network.
- AACo corporate networkLayer 2 point-to-pointStations appear on AACo’s corporate network over Layer 2 point-to-point connectivity, rather than as simple internet services.
- Barkly Tableland, NT
- Victoria River District, NT
- North West Queensland
The Business Challenge
AACo operates multiple remote cattle stations across northern Australia, where traditional terrestrial telecommunications infrastructure is unavailable or limited. Each station relied on its own standalone satellite service, making the network fragmented and difficult to manage and secure.
AACo required:
- Reliable connectivity across multiple remote stations
- Integration into AACo’s corporate network
- Layer 2 network connectivity rather than simple internet access
- Centralised management and security
- A scalable platform capable of supporting future communications transformation initiatives
The Business Solution
MarchNet designed and deployed a managed satellite data pool, combining Orion satellite services with MarchNet’s managed networking platform. Rather than each station operating its own isolated service, all stations were brought into a single pooled architecture that is centrally routed, secured and managed by MarchNet.
The solution delivered:
- Centralised managed satellite aggregation
- Layer 2 point-to-point connectivity for each station
- Integration into AACo’s corporate infrastructure hosted at NextDC Brisbane, with dedicated VLANs for each station
- Managed LAN services at station level, including managed routers and indoor and outdoor Wi-Fi access points
- Unlimited data usage
- Centralised routing and network management
Technology Platform
Project Delivery
Field deployment was coordinated by MarchNet engineering staff, with installation activities carried out across the stations during April and May 2021.
- April – May 2021Mobilisation & station installsMarchNet engineers mobilised and installed equipment across stations in the Barkly Tableland and Victoria River District of the Northern Territory, and in Western Queensland.
- 10 May 2021Satellite Data Pool ready for serviceThe managed satellite data pool was completed and formally handed over.
- 1 June 2021Satellite Pool & Managed LAN ready for serviceManaged LAN services across the stations were completed and the full solution went into service.
The Business Outcome
The satellite data pool became a foundational component of AACo’s broader, whole-of-business communications transformation with MarchNet, which went on to include:
- Fibre connectivity to head office
- Microwave connectivity to strategic properties in Queensland and the Northern Territory
- Migration of legacy satellite services onto MarchNet’s satellite platform
- MarchNet’s Layer 2 and Application-Based Routing satellite capability
The satellite platform was engineered in-house by MarchNet engineers specifically for this project, and is now available as a standard offering for other customers.
The results delivered to AACo included:
- One Managed Network: Multiple remote cattle stations connected into a single managed network.
- Enterprise-Grade Connectivity: Layer 2 connectivity over satellite, integrated directly into the corporate network.
- Centralised Control: Security and network management handled centrally rather than site by site.
- Simplified Operations: Fragmented standalone satellite services replaced with a pooled architecture.
- A Platform for Transformation: The communications foundation that underpinned AACo’s wider digital transformation initiatives.
