WildBlue Upgrades Its
Satellite Internet Network, Increasing Capacity By Over 31
Percent
(9 July 2008) WildBlue Communications,
Inc., the leading provider of broadband satellite service throughout rural
America, today announced the completion of a series of hardware and software
system upgrades that have increased its total network capacity by more than
150,000 additional customers since the beginning of 2008.
The
upgrades bring WildBlue's total network capacity to over 640,000 customers,
with capacity available throughout the entire country.
"When you're the
fastest growing broadband satellite provider, you have to continue to provide
room to grow," said David Leonard, WildBlue's Chief Executive Officer. "Our
total system capacity to date is now 31 percent above where we started the year
which is great news for our retailers and wholesalers who are working hard to
bring on new customers."
The most recent upgrade involves the addition
of enhanced transmission link hardware and software technologies that enable
transmission of 50 percent more information bits through the same existing
radio link. As a result, an increase of nearly 50 percent in capacity is
realised in beams that were previously upstream (return path)
constrained.
And, according to Thad Mazurczyk, WildBlue's Vice President
of Engineering, there are more upgrades on the horizon. "Additional upgrades
are planned across our network throughout the rest of the year and are expected
to result additional capacity, with some beams in our high demand areas
enjoying capacity increases of as much as 65 percent since the beginning of the
year."
WildBlue estimates that there are over 11 million households in
areas throughout the United States where DSL or cable broadband services are
not available and that over 7.5 million of these households are still accessing
the Internet through a traditional dial-up connection.
About
WildBlue
WildBlue Communications, Inc. provides broadband Internet
access to consumers and small offices in rural areas throughout the contiguous
United States.
(source: WildBlue Communications)
