The agreement, announced by Geoscience Australia (GA) and Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), builds on an earlier contract signed in 2023 and will see Viasat provide additional satellite capacity and services for the system. The net incremental value for Viasat is estimated at $214 million.
SouthPAN is a joint satellite-based augmentation system designed to deliver highly accurate positioning and navigation services across the region. It underpins applications in aviation, maritime transport, agriculture, surveying, mining and emergency response.
By correcting signals from global navigation satellites, SouthPAN enables positioning accuracy down to a few centimetres – far more precise than the standard GPS service available to the public.
Geoscience Australia chief executive Melissa Harris said the deal would provide a secure and reliable foundation for critical industries: “This agreement secures a reliable satellite service and ground infrastructure, delivering precise positioning across Australia and its maritime zones – enabling industries to innovate where accuracy is critical.”
Harris added, “From farms to freight, users will be able to access free services that are accurate and timely.”
In agriculture, SouthPAN supports advanced practices such as controlled traffic farming, inter-row seeding, yield mapping, precision spraying and livestock monitoring. In resources and construction, it can enhance worker safety through smart geofencing technologies that track the movement of personnel and heavy machinery in real time.
The latest award follows the 2023 contract originally granted to Inmarsat before its merger with Viasat to deliver a satellite payload for SouthPAN. The new agreement extends services from Viasat’s in-orbit satellites and adds a fresh payload, strengthening its role as a long-term partner in the program.
Viasat International Government president Todd McDonell said the company was proud to expand its collaboration with both governments.
“SouthPAN represents extraordinary potential for the region: it can save lives by enabling precision safety tracking, help farmers improve productivity through automated device tracking, and even support transport management systems of the future,” he said.
SouthPAN is being delivered by GA and LINZ as part of a long-term partnership, with early services made freely available to users in both countries since 2022.
Once fully operational, SouthPAN is expected to transform sectors where pinpoint accuracy is essential, delivering productivity gains, boosting safety and opening the door to new technologies across Australia, New Zealand and surrounding maritime zones.