Published: October 08, 2009
ViaSat to Supply Ka-band Networking Equipment and Operations Support for Yahsat High-Speed Internet Access
CARLSBAD, Calif. - (BUSINESS WIRE) - ViaSat Inc. (Nasdaq:VSAT) has received a $46 million contract award from
Star Satellite Communications Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Al
Yah Satellite Communications Company PrJSC (Yahsat), for SurfBeam 2
network infrastructure and initial customer premises terminals. The
equipment will power an advanced new high-speed Internet access service
called YahClick. Under the contract, ViaSat will deliver and install
four complete satellite broadband gateways, provide equipment and
installation for a network control center, supply a pilot production
quantity of user terminals, and support Yahsat with network operations
and maintenance services.
YahClick, targeted to enterprise customers and consumers in the Middle
East, Africa, and Southwest Asia, is expected to go live upon the launch
of YahSat's second satellite, Y1B in the second half of 2011. Y1B
includes a spot-beam Ka-band payload designed to support broadband
access networks for a range of applications. Ka-band spot beam
satellites re-use frequencies to maximize spectrum efficiency for more
network capacity. On the ground, the design enables use of smaller,
lower cost terminals, antennas, and transceivers.
"YahSat has shown its leadership in the region by assembling an
entrepreneurial team to architect, implement, and deliver the YahClick
network services across a broad range of markets," said Mark Dankberg,
chairman and CEO of ViaSat. "The Yahsat 1B Ka-band payload will be the
first of its kind in this area of the world, having been expressly
designed to support state-of-the-art satellite network access services."
"YahClick will play a key role in connecting communities and creating
informed societies by bringing cost-effective high speed Internet to
millions of people," said Jassem Al Zaabi, CEO of Yahsat. "We wanted the
right partner and found ViaSat's breadth of applications, operational
expertise, and business relationships a perfect fit with our goals."
The next-generation SurfBeam 2 network is designed for the latest
Ka-band spot beam satellites. The system has been selected to bring to
market well over 200 Gbps of aggregate satellite capacity serving four
continents in the next few years. That capacity represents more than a
ten-fold increase over the combined global Ka-band capacity in service
today. SurfBeam 2 provides satellite operators with unprecedented
economies of scale in terms of satellite network infrastructure
efficiency and, especially, customer premises terminal operation
flexibility and price points.
About Al Yah Satellite Communications Company (www.yahsat.ae)
Yahsat is a United Arab Emirates-based satellite communications company
providing multipurpose satellite communications services to commercial
and governmental clients in the Middle East, Africa, Europe and
South-West Asia. With a wide portfolio of voice, data, video and
internet connectivity solutions, Yahsat satellites are designed based on
market requirements and future applications.
Yahsat is partnering with the consortium of EADS Astrium, Thales and
Alenia Space to build a hybrid satellite communications system. The
first satellite Y1A is being built and will be launched in the first
quarter of 2011, and Y1B will follow in the second half of 2011.
Yahsat is owned by Mubadala Development Company, an investment firm that
is helping to diversify Abu Dhabi's economy through capital intensive
investments and by building businesses. Mubadala establishes new
companies and acquires strategic holdings in existing companies, either
in the UAE or abroad. In partnership with world class investors, the
company actively manages investments in strategic sectors including
energy, real estate, healthcare, aerospace and services. These
investments diversify and further develop the growing economy of Abu
Dhabi, while achieving superior returns on its investments.
About ViaSat (www.viasat.com)
ViaSat produces innovative satellite and other digital communication
products that enable fast, secure, and efficient communications to any
location. The company provides networking products and managed network
services for enterprise IP applications; is a key supplier of
network-centric military communications and encryption technologies and
products to the U.S. government; and is the primary technology partner
for gateway and customer-premises equipment for consumer and mobile
satellite broadband services. ViaSat also offers design capabilities and
a number of complementary products including monolithic microwave
integrated circuits and modules, DVB-S2 satellite communication
components, video data link systems, data acceleration and compression,
and mobile satellite antenna systems. ViaSat is based in Carlsbad, CA,
has major locations in Duluth, GA, and Germantown, MD (Comsat
Laboratories division), and has additional field offices and service
centers worldwide.
Safe Harbor Statement
Portions of this release, particularly statements about the launch of
the Y1B satellite, deliveries of products and services to Yahsat and
SurfBeam 2 system performance, may contain forward-looking statements
regarding future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties.
ViaSat wishes to caution you that there are some factors that could
cause actual results to differ materially, including but not limited to:
contractual problems, product defects, manufacturing issues or delays,
regulatory issues, technologies not being developed according to
anticipated schedules, or that do not perform according to expectations;
and increased competition and other factors affecting the
telecommunications industry generally. The Company refers you to the
documents it files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, specifically the section titled Risk Factors in the
Company's Form 10-K, which contain and identify other important factors
that could cause actual results to differ materially from those
contained in our projections or forward-looking statements. Stockholders
and other readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these
forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which
they are made. We undertake no obligation to update publicly or revise
any forward-looking statements.
SurfBeam is a registered trademark of ViaSat Inc.
Comsat Labs and Comsat Laboratories are tradenames of ViaSat, Inc.
Neither Comsat Labs nor Comsat Laboratories is affiliated with COMSAT
Corporation. "Comsat" is a registered trademark of COMSAT Corporation.
All additional products are trademarks of their respective owners.
Brainerd Communicators
Joe LoBello / Scott Cianciulli
212-986-6667
lobello@braincomm.com
cianciulli@braincomm.com
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