ViaSat Receives $6-M Contract to Supply VSAT DVB-S2 Broadband Network for Telecentros Ecuador

CARLSBAD, Calif., Dec. 15, 2006/Satnews Daily/ ― ViaSat Inc. (NASDAQ:VSAT) will supply its LinkStar DVB-S2 satellite networking system to Unete Telecomunicaciones S.A. (Bolivia) to expand its enterprise broadband services in Ecuador and the surrounding region.

ViaSat said the contract was recently awarded by Telecentros Comunitarios Ecuador issued by the national entities CONAM and CONATEL.

The contract, valued at approximately $6 million, includes installation and integration of a satellite network hub in Guayaquil, Ecuador and 1,200 LinkStarS2 terminals. Deliveries of the hub, networking equipment and first shipment of broadband VSAT terminals are scheduled for this month, with deliveries continuing into the second half of calendar 2007.

“With Unete extending its broadband satellite services into Ecuador for the important Telecentros project, we are seeing yet another expansion of our broadband LinkStar DVB-S2 based platforms into new regions of Latin America,” said Robert Feierbach, managing director of ViaSat for Latin America and EMEA. “Unete's commitment to expanding communications in South America makes us very happy to welcome them as a new DVB-S2 satellite network provider.”

“LinkStarS2 VSATs incorporate the latest DVB-S2 waveform to offer bandwidth efficiency gains of up to 30 percent, substantially reducing network operating costs. ViaSat customers also get the benefit of one VSAT system that can support multiple network services,” said Hugo Frega, ViaSat regional director for Latin America.

ViaSat said the system is cost-effective for a full spectrum of applications, from low speed, quick-turnaround retail transactions such as point-of-sale and lottery networks, to broadband multimedia applications such as Internet access, high-speed military or homeland security applications, enterprise networking, and distance learning. Operators get better service and more efficient use of satellite transponders from dynamic bandwidth allocation, which increases or decreases data rates on-the-fly. Service providers can also access dedicated network management tools and hub resources from a shared hub though the system's Virtual Network Operator (VNO) functions.

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