ViaSat [NASDAQ:VSAT] received an order for 5,000 SurfBeam(R) Ka-band broadband terminals from OpenSky for the launch of Eutelsat Tooway consumer broadband service in Italy. This is just the start, as OpenSky is projecting that the 5,000 terminals are approximately a three-month supply.

  The Tooway service will enable OpenSky to extend high speed Internet to areas in Italy that are unserved or underserved by ADSL. It is estimated that approximately 12 million households, more than half of the Italian population, do not have access to high speed Internet service. In adding the Tooway service, OpenSky is gaining a way to reach that population more quickly and with more capital cost-efficiency compared to building out terrestrial infrastructure in hard to reach areas.

  "The Tooway service is a very attractive way for us to expand the reach of our broadband services to all of Italy," said Paolo Dalla Chiara, president of OpenSky. "Going with Ka-band leaders like Eutelsat and ViaSat is an easy choice and we're excited about the next leap in high capacity satellite broadband with the new KA-SAT as well. We completed our infrastructure by partnering with a consortium of installers, CTA and CTA trade, that provide the logistic and installation all over Italy, so we can provide excellent customer service from installation to activation."

 Launched in Europe late last year, Tooway uses Ka-band capacity on Eutelsat's HOT BIRD(TM) 6 satellite and the ViaSat SurfBeam DOCSIS(R)-based broadband satellite system as the ground segment. Over 390,000 subscribers in North America already use the SurfBeam system to access ADSL-like services over satellite. ViaSat and Eutelsat are also working together to launch two new satellites that will significantly expand the quality, capability and availability of high-speed broadband satellite services for U.S., Canadian, and European consumers and enterprises.