Vocus plans six-dish Telesat Lightspeed ground station at Murray Bridge North

A satellite ground station has been proposed for Murray Bridge North in South Australia's Murraylands, to connect to the Telesat Lightspeed communications network. Three technology companies would partner on the project, with Vocus and Mirait Technologies named as the other two. Vocus operates an independent fibre-optic data network across Australia, while Mirait Technologies builds telecommunications infrastructure.

The facility, off Mannum Road, would have six satellite dishes, each about five metres high. It would reach clients around South Australia over Vocus' cable network. Vocus has built, or is building, 30 of the ground stations across Australia.

Murray Bridge News reported that Telesat Lightspeed would offer high-end government and corporate clients data relay speeds well above those available over the NBN. It also said the satellite network could carry information around the world without it touching the public internet.

Planning documents address the safety of transmissions from the site. According to those documents, even 10 metres from the antennas the electromagnetic energy level would be 50 times lower than the legal maximum.

Public consultation on the development closes at 11.59pm on Wednesday 28 October 2026, with submissions made through plan.sa.gov.au.