AST Networks Australia solutions improving quality and consistency of services to rural communities in the Northern Territory

Owned and operated by the Passmore Family and staffed from their Alice Springs base since 1997. The ”Bush Bus” had a modest beginning with a single route from Docker River to Alice Springs once a week. The Bush Bus has grown to a large modern fleet servicing Alice Springs and remote parts of Central Australia and beyond.

The company has many long standing relationships with customer’s territory wide and their satisfaction and confidence in the service are the foundations for the Bush Bus’s success over many years. Centre Bush Bus is dedicated to providing safe, affordable and convenient transportation to remote communities of Central Australia.

Bush Bus’s latest services include a daylight express between Tennant Creek and Alice Springs and a weekly service between Alice Springs and Lake Nash across the Sandover Highway.

Project Overview

The Centre Bush Bus travels through some of the most remote areas of the Northern Territory where for the majority of the time there is no mobile phone coverage. They required a satellite phone that would work when needed in emergency’s and to touch base with head office in Alice Springs. The client would also benefit from real time tracking hence AST Networks' hardware was installed which enabled tracking of the vehicle along every step of its journey.

Client Requirements

The client required a basic satellite phone that allowed its staff member to make contact with head office if necessary or with emergency services should any issues arise. The client also required tracking in real time to ensure an estimated time of arrival to assist both with operations and anyone waiting for the bus.

Our Solution

AST Networks Australia provided the client with suitable hardware for their route from Kintore to Alice Springs, then Alice Springs to Docker River and then return.

The handset allows voice, data and tracking capabilities allowing the client to track their vehicle's exact movement for each journey. This helps head office to plan and or track each vehicle and allow for maximisation of use and minimal down time of each vehicle.

The handset provides basic telephony functions with high quality voice data via the Thuraya Satellite Network. Many of our products support SMS with an easy to use menu on a large colour LCD screen. The handset has the ability to log calls including missed, received and dialled numbers. The menu structure is user-friendly and all functions being able to be configured via the handset.

The terminal we installed is also capable of data communication through the Thuraya GmPRS technology. With 60kbps download capability it is possible for the vehicles to stay connected via email and data applications. The base terminal also provides a panic button for use in an emergency, once activated it will send an emergency alert to pre-defined contacts via SMS and or GmPRS which includes time-stamped GPS coordinates to a maximum of three preset contacts for emergency response.

Business Benefits

Our client has realised the following benefits following the installation service provided by AST Networks Australia.

• ‘Peace of Mind’ with the ability to contact emergency services and if the situation arose.

• The ability to track each journey with exact times and distances allowing head office to maximise vehicles that are out on the road and ensure minimal downtown.

• Due to tracking in real time the vehicle is now able to provide an estimated time of arrival for the bus which assists both with operations and any passengers waiting for the vehicle to arrive.

The above image shows the tracking report for the vehicle travelling from Kintore all the way through to Docker River