Press Release
Issued by Viasat.
October 20, 2009
ViaSat Inc (NASDAQ: VSAT) and Innotech Aviation, a newly appointed ViaSat airborne terminal reseller, have successfully completed the first installation of ViaSat's high-speed broadband terminal on a Bombardier Global Express XRS aircraft. Following the installation, the aircraft was commissioned into the ViaSat Yondersm airborne broadband communication service by Satcom Direct. Yonder is the first service of its kind in the market, offering users the ability to send and receive broadband data, connect to a virtual private network, and access IPTV at connection speeds never seen before in a business jet at costs significantly lower than other less capable communication services.
Jim Hanna, Director of Maintenance for the aircraft on which the system was installed, has firsthand experience during a test flight last month. "Yonder service has revolutionized connectivity in the sky," said Jim. "It has brought to the market what I would describe as real broadband. The data transaction on the aircraft exceeded my expectations. During the test flight I had the chance to test three-way video conferencing using Skype, access live TV and listen to digital radio at speeds quicker than being on the ground - it was phenomenal."
The installation of ViaSat's VMT-1500 airborne mobile broadband terminal was performed at Innotech Aviation facilities in Montreal. "Innotech has a well-earned reputation for quality of installation and service that is among the best in the industry." said Don Buchman, ViaSat Director of Mobile Broadband. "The speed with which they completed the engineering, installation, commissioning and test flights on this project speaks for itself. We certainly feel confident in recommending Innotech to any of our potential customers."
"This was a complex installation with a very short timeline", said Gesse Sciacca, Director of Avionics at Innotech. "The superior technical and customer support from ViaSat and Satcom Direct made the difference in getting this project done on schedule. We are very pleased to have been named a ViaSat reseller".
The Yonder service network already extends from Moscow westward across the Atlantic Ocean, North America, the Pacific Ocean and into Japan and Southeast Asia. The network is continuing to expand through the cooperation of ViaSat and maritime service-provider KVH Industries with the goal of providing worldwide coverage by mid 2011.
