Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. (Nasdaq: GILT) is providing a broadband satellite communications network to Ethiopian Telecommunication Corp. (ETC), Ethiopia's national telecom operator. The new network, covering hundreds of sites, will provide an upgrade to ETC's existing Gilat VSAT network and will enable ETC to deliver advanced broadband services, which include video and data-centric applications, to meet the growing demands of its enterprise and government customers. ETC will also deploy Gilat's VSATs at remote community centers nationwide to provide citizens with toll-quality telephony and reliable broadband internet access.

ETC will additionally enhance its service offering by extending the range of cellular services to the country's remote locations, through Gilat's SkyAbis cellular backhaul solution. Gilat's SkyAbis is a prepackaged solution based on the SkyEdge and SkyEdgeII multi-service platforms. The solution enables operators to deploy hybrid networks that extend the reach of their terrestrial and cellular infrastructure to remote communities. SkyAbis features traffic optimization and dynamic bandwidth allocation for CDMA/GSM backhaul, with much higher space-segment efficiencies when compared to SCPC. Gilat's broadband satellite communications networks have been helping improve African Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) for more than 20 years. Gilat's VSAT networks provide dependable, high-speed data networking to government agencies, banks, energy companies and citizens at thousands of sites throughout Africa, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Namibia, Angola, Ghana, Cameroon, Senegal, Tanzania, and South Africa.