[SatNEws] Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) and SpeedCast Limited have further expanded the reach of their regional maritime broadband service with the extension of their 60 cm coverage to include the Mediterranean region.

The 60 cm service is part of Eutelsat and SpeedCast's overall global maritime broadband network, which is one of the most widely deployed VSAT offerings in the world. In addition to the 60 cm Ku-band systems, the global network includes 1 m Ku-band and 2.4 m C-band systems. The smaller form factor 60 cm marine antenna is ideally suited for small-to-mid-sized vessels such as yachts, fishing, and coast guard vessels, which operate along coastlines and regional waters. The smaller size and lighter weight of the 60 cm marine antenna better meets the needs of these vessels and allows for a lower investment. The expansion of Mediterranean coverage for the 60 cm service complements SpeedCast and Eutelsat's coverage plans which include the Caribbean, South East Asia, Middle East & India, East Asia & China, and Australian regions. Customers benefit from this broad range of coverage with the ability to utilize the service in multiple regions. Customers of the 60 cm service also enjoy all of the same benefits as the advanced technologies used for the larger 1 m Ku-band and 2.4 m C-band antenna systems. They include DVB-S2 encoding for bandwidth optimization and Adaptive Coding and Modulation (ACM) for optimized power utilization and consistent performance in all weather conditions.

Customers can also leverage SpeedCast and Eutelsat's advanced monitoring and asset tracking solution, named "SMART" (SpeedCast's Monitoring And Reporting Tools). This value-added-service allows vessel tracking, network management, service level performance monitoring and more. SMART can be accessed securely from any location via a Web-based network management portal, for greater visibility and control of customers' fleet and business. Finally, customers can benefit from a broad range of additional services for their critical communication needs. SpeedCast and Eutelsat offer a wealth of value added services designed for maritime customers, and optimized for satellite-based communications. These services include SpeedTalk, an optimized VOIP service, SpeedCam, a secure remote video surveillance service, and SpeedStar, a WAN optimization service.