Gilat Utilizes Intelsat Satellite Services to Deliver Broadband Connectivity to Schools and Communities in Rural Colombia
Intelsat S.A. (NYSE: I), the world’s leading provider of satellite services, and Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. (NASDAQ: GILT), a worldwide leader in satellite networking technology, solutions and services, today announced a multi-year, multi-transponder agreement under which Gilat Colombia will use Intelsat Ku-band capacity on Intelsat 907 at 332.5° East to support the Kioscos Vive Digital 2 (KVDII) project.
KDVII provides connectivity to rural communities and schools in six regions within the framework of the Colombian Ministry’s national Kioscos Phase 2/VIVE DIGITAL project. Gilat’s SkyEdge II WebEnhance was chosen to be used in four of these, including the regions serviced by Gilat Colombia. Under the agreement between the companies, Gilat Colombia will use Intelsat’s satellite services for the three year initiative. As part of the project, Gilat will integrate its SkyEdge II WebEnhance data networking platform with Intelsat’s satellite services to provide internet connectivity to 1,903 kiosks within rural communities located in Colombia.
“Satellite continues to provide critical broadband infrastructure to regions where terrestrial technologies are not cost-effective or are unreliable or impossible to use given geographies,” said Carmen Gonzalez-Sanfeliu, Intelsat’s Regional Vice President, Latin America. “Gilat’s high performing and efficient technology combined with Intelsat’s flexible and high-performing satellite services closes that divide and delivers essential internet connectivity and telephony to children and adults in communities across Colombia. The KVDII project is a great example of how the satellite community works together to provide the necessary connectivity to aid in the educational and economic development of fast growing economies, such as Colombia.”
“We have had a long and successful history of partnering with Intelsat to deliver broadband connectivity in some of the remotest regions of the world,” stated Danny Fridman, CEO of Gilat Colombia and Peru. “The quality, flexibility and reliability of their satellite fleet and willingness to reposition the Intelsat 907 spot beam to help us deliver the internet to communities in Colombia made them the best partner to help support our efforts with the KVDII initiative.”
About Kioscos VIVE Digital
Kioscos VIVE Digital is an initiative of the Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications which aims to provide community Internet access points to 100% of the population centers of more than 100 people, by 2014. The project is focused on rural areas and remote locations as part of the aim to achieve digital inclusion of children, youth and adults of all ages.
About Intelsat
Intelsat S.A. (NYSE: I) is the world’s leading provider of satellite services, delivering high performance connectivity solutions for media, fixed and mobile broadband infrastructure, enterprise and government and military applications. Intelsat’s satellite, teleport and fiber infrastructure is unmatched in the industry, setting the standard for transmissions of video and broadband services. From the globalization of content and the proliferation of HD, to the expansion of cellular networks and mobile broadband access, Intelsat creates value for its customers through creative space-based solutions. Envision…Connect…Transform…with Intelsat, celebrating 50 years of space leadership in 2014. For more information, visit www.intelsat.com.
About Gilat
Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd (NASDAQ, TASE: GILT) is a leading provider of products and services for satellite-based broadband communications. Gilat develops and markets a wide range of high-performance satellite ground segment equipment and VSATs, with an increasing focus on the consumer and Ka-band market. In addition, Gilat enables mobile SOTM (Satellite-on-the-Move) solutions providing low-profile antennas, next generation solid-state power amplifiers and modems. Gilat also provides managed network and satellite-based services for rural telephony and Internet access via its subsidiaries in the United States, Peru and Colombia. With over 25 years of experience, and over a million products shipped to more than 85 countries, Gilat has provided enterprises, service providers and operators with efficient and reliable satellite-based connectivity solutions, including cellular backhaul, banking, retail, e-government and rural communication networks. Gilat also enables leading defense, public security and news organizations to implement advanced, on-the-move tactical communications on board their land, air and sea fleets using Gilat’s high-performance SOTM solutions. For more information, please visit us at www.gilat.com.
