Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) announced in February 2012 that it has been awarded a contract to provide two high-throughput communications satellites called NBN Co 1A and 1B, that will be used to deliver high-speed broadband service to rural and remote areas of Australia. The satellites will be operated by NBN Co Limited (NBN Co), which was established to implement the Australian government policy initiative of providing access to high-speed broadband to every household and business in the country via an integrated national network that will utilize fiber, wireless, and satellite technologies.

The satellites for NBN Co are based on the SS/L 1300 platform, which leads the industry in reliability and has been optimized to provide enhanced performance and capacity distribution for broadband missions. The satellites are designed to provide service for 15 years or more.

ARSAT-2 is a geostationary communications satellite operated by ARSAT and built by the Argentine company INVAP. It was launched from French Guiana alongside the Sky Muster satellite using an Ariane 5ECA rocket on September 30, 2015, at 20:30 UTC, becoming the 400th satellite to be launched by Arianespace. It is licensed to be located at 81° West longitude geostationary slot.

ARSAT-2 is the second geostationary satellite built in Argentina, after ARSAT-1. Structurally and mechanically it is a copy of the ARSAT-1, the only difference being the payload and thus it has a different antenna configuration.