ViaSat Expands Global
Ku-band Mobile Broadband Satellite Communications Network For Business
Aviation, Airlines, Maritime, Land Mobile & Government
(8 July 2008) ViaSat Inc. has signed a
new 10-year agreement with KVH Industries Inc., to establish a global Ku-band
mobile broadband network using ViaSat-patented ArcLight
technology.
The agreement includes an initial purchase by KVH of
three ArcLight hubs with options for more hubs as the network expands. The new
contract will enable network expansion that builds on the already successful
satellite networks serving business jets, maritime vessels, and ground vehicles
in North America, the Caribbean, the North Atlantic, and Europe. Under the
agreement, ViaSat will provide network operation services, managing satellite
access and seamless roaming for the ViaSat hubs, and also share in the service
revenues.
Together, ViaSat and KVH will establish ArcLight spread spectrum
mobile broadband networks in a series of new regions. The coverage expansion is
scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2008. KVH will be the global
provider for maritime service while ViaSat will provide products and satellite
network services into aviation markets world-wide.
"This strategic
expansion of our network can provide our airborne broadband customers an
affordable global extension of their office with access to broadband data,
voice and entertainment services virtually anywhere they fly," said Brandon
Nixon, ViaSat senior vice president. "In addition, our collaboration with KVH
over the last two years has allowed our two companies to create a unique
offering for the maritime industry, one that changes the equation in terms of
what people can expect in performance and costs. With a variety of platforms on
the network, we'll be able to add to our installed base and build out our
network offerings for the long term."
"Expanding our mini-VSAT Broadband
service to provide seamless coverage for maritime broadband communications is
one of our top priorities," said Martin Kits van Heyningen, KVH chief executive
officer. "Our new service offers customers predictable, fixed airtime rates
that are significantly less expensive and much faster than alternative maritime
communications from Inmarsat. We feel the lower airtime rates combined with
antennas that are 85% smaller and significantly less costly than traditional
VSAT products will help the market grow beyond the small number of very large
vessels using maritime broadband services. At the same time, this expansion
positions KVH to earn revenue not only from the maritime service, but on
aeronautical applications that roam throughout our service areas."
About
ViaSat
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 to the U.S. government; and
is the primary technology partner for gateway and customer premises equipment
for consumer and mobile satellite broadband services. The company has five
subsidiaries: US Monolithics, Efficient Channel Coding, Enerdyne Technologies,
Intelligent Compression Technologies (ICT), and JAST. These companies design
and produce complementary products such as monolithic microwave integrated
circuits, DVB-S2 satellite communication components, video data link systems,
data acceleration and compression products, and mobile satellite antenna
systems. ViaSat has locations in Carlsbad, CA, and Duluth, GA, along with its
Comsat Laboratories division in Germantown, MD. Additional field offices are
located in Boston, MA, Baltimore, MD, Washington DC, Australia, China, India,
Italy, and Spain.
(source: ViaSat)
