How Balloon Aloft got reliable internet in rural Hunter Valley
When Two NBN installers said it couldn’t be done
A national Telco provider sent two separate installers who both gave up and walked away. A local phone call to SJH Communications solved the problem that nobody else would touch.
Running a busy adventure tourism business from a rural property in Lovedale, Hunter Valley, means reliable internet isn’t a nice-to-have – it’s the backbone of the entire operation. For Balloon Aloft, one of Australia’s most iconic hot air balloon experiences, their reservations office depends on a live online booking portal, seamless guest communication and a phone system that can handle high call volumes around the clock.
For years, they’d made do with inadequate connectivity. When NBN finally became available in their area, they expected the problem to be solved. Instead, they hit a wall – twice. Two separate installers arrived, declared the connection impossible, and left without explanation.
The team at Balloon Aloft reached out to SJH Communications on the recommendation of another local business. What followed was a solution that no national provider had bothered to look for – and a connectivity setup that’s now the best the team has ever experienced at that location.
The challenge
Rural tourism business stuck without a reliable NBN connection
Balloon Aloft’s reservations office in Lovedale sits in a location that presents an unusual infrastructure problem. The NBN wireless tower signal reached their aircraft hangar but fell just short of the office itself. Two separate installers from a national internet provider walked away from the job without a solution.
The consequences for the business were real:
- Constant internet slowdowns and drop-outs disrupted the reservations team’s ability to process bookings in real time.
- The online booking portal – the primary sales channel for a modern tourism operation – was unreliable.
- Guest communication and crew coordination were compromised by a connection that couldn’t be trusted.
- Calls to their national internet provider went nowhere; the person answering the phone had no knowledge of local infrastructure and no motivation to find a fix.
“The person answering the phone didn’t know and really didn’t care about our issues” – Peta Hurley, Balloon Aloft team.
After the second failed NBN installation attempt and with no explanation from their provider as to why connection wasn’t possible, another local Hunter Valley business pointed them toward SJH Communications.
Local knowledge where a national provider had none
The difference with SJH was immediate and straightforward: we understand the local NBN network.
Rather than working from a generic support script, our technicians were able to speak directly with the NBN installer on site, understand the exact signal geography of the area, and identify what previous installers had either missed or ignored. The Balloon Aloft hangar sat just inside the wireless signal coverage area. The office did not – but the distance between the two was bridgeable.
Our approach was to find a practical, site-specific solution rather than declare the job too difficult. That mindset, combined with genuine knowledge of the local infrastructure, made all the difference.
The solution
A wireless NBN relay, Starlink backup, and a zero-downtime phone migration
We delivered a tailored connectivity and communications solution designed around the realities of Balloon Aloft’s rural location.
Getting NBN to the office:
Because Balloon Aloft could only access Wireless NBN, we proposed a wireless relay from the aircraft hangar – which sat within coverage – through to the office. The approach was unconventional, but it worked.
Eliminating downtime with NBN/Starlink load balancing:
Even with NBN connected, rural wireless internet can experience slowdowns and drop-outs. Rather than accept this as an ongoing limitation, we recommended installing a load balancing system that automatically switches the connection between NBN and Starlink – whichever is delivering the stronger signal at any given moment. The result has been near-zero internet downtime and the best connection speeds the team has seen at that location.
Cloud phone system installation with no interruption to operations:
When it came to the phone system upgrade, we ran the old and new systems in parallel throughout the installation, ensuring the reservations office stayed live and fully operational. The team transitioned from one system to the other without missing a call.
“SJH were able to troubleshoot issues and get us set up on NBN in a short period of time.” Peta Hurley, Balloon Aloft team.
The outcome
Now Balloon Aloft has a reservations office that can actually run the business
The impact of a stable, high-speed connection on a tourism operation is crucial as it flows directly into every guest interaction.
Since working with SJH Communications, Balloon Aloft has:
- Eliminated internet downtime with the NBN/Starlink load balancing system providing consistent, resilient connectivity.
- Achieved the best internet speeds their Lovedale office has ever experienced.
- Maintained uninterrupted reservations operations throughout the phone and internet migration.
- Replaced unreliable national provider support with direct access to a local technician who knows their setup.
For a business where a booking lost to a slow portal or a dropped call is revenue out the door, that reliability has a direct commercial value.
“The backing of a local business, with local understanding is unbeatable.” – Balloon Aloft team
