[SatNews] ViaSat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT) is launching Exede® Voice, becoming the first satellite Internet service provider to offer U.S. residential telephone service. The offering complements the company’s award-winning Exede satellite Internet service, which has transformed satellite Internet through its affordable 12Mbps speeds using the world’s highest capacity satellite, ViaSat-1.

With the introduction of Exede Voice on June 17th, ViaSat will begin offering consumers the nation’s first all-satellite phone/Internet “double play” with unlimited local and long distance calling within the US and Canada, plus a full suite of digital phone features. Also available will be a “triple play” bundle—with Internet, telephone, and TV—starting at $99.99 per month. According to Lisa Scalpone, vice president of Satellite Services, Exede Voice benefits consumers by providing a high-quality home telephone service at a competitive price. “The launch represents an important step forward for our service and the Exede brand,” Scalpone said. “We have long wanted to provide our customers with a cost-effective alternative to paying for an expensive landline through the telephone company. With the introduction of Exede Voice we can now offer a triple play, a first-of-its-kind for the satellite industry and a great deal for consumers at a monthly price under $100.”

The ViaSat engineering team designed Exede Voice to be optimized with Exede satellite and ground technology, producing superior call quality. The team spent a year in development and another year in technical and user testing to ensure quality and reliability, including trials with hundreds of residential users. The offering features...

• The introductory offer for Exede 12 Internet customers includes monthly home phone service with unlimited calling to all 50 states and Canada for $19.99. International toll calling to more than 120 countries is also available
• Prices for the of Exede Internet/telephone double play bundle begin at $69.98 per month and depend upon the Internet plan selected
• A package of popular calling features is included at no extra charge, including voice mail, caller ID, call waiting, call holding, call forwarding, and call return
• Phone service use is not counted against the customer’s Exede Internet data allowance
• Landline customers may transfer their home telephone number to Exede Voice
• The service is integrated with 911 and Enhanced 911 services for emergency response as well as 711 services to access Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) for individuals with hearing and speech disabilities

The only equipment required for the new telephone service is a small Exede Voice Adapter, which is shipped free to customers and easily connects between the Exede modem and the telephone.