LinkStarS2 VSAT Network To RACE Communications in Russia

LinkStarS2 VSAT Network To RACE Communications in Russia

2006-12-13 - VSAT Networks 

Sberbank Will Link Banking Sites Across Russia With LinkStar DVB-S2 Network

Duluth, GA – ViaSat Inc. (Nasdaq:VSAT) is supplying its LinkStarS2 satellite networking system to connect the principal sites of Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank. Sberbank’s VSAT network is being constructed by the Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC), the Russian national satellite communications operator, and the Russian system integrator RACE Communications. The Sberbank VSAT network will use the new Digital Video Broadcast S2 (DVB-S2) version of the LinkStar® system that adds more bandwidth efficiency. Sberbank operates in 11 time zones across the different regions of Russia, servicing 1.3 million corporate customers and 250 million retail accounts. The contract includes 500 remotes at bank branch offices with an option for expansion to 1,200 offices, and completion of the first phase of the network is scheduled for 2007.

“ViaSat was selected for our Russian project because of its cutting-edge technological leadership and ongoing innovations with the LinkStar system. With the advanced features and management capabilities of this network, we will be able to satisfy the stingent demands of our client SberBank," said Alexei Vtorygin, first deputy general director of RACE Communications.

“RSCC values Sberbank not only as a key customer, but as a long-term partner. The corporate network is being built using capacity on the Express-AM2 satellite and ViaSat technology. The unique footprint and technical parameters of the satellite, together with the state-of-the-art ground equipment of ViaSat enable RSCC to offer the customer a cost-effective and reliable network. We are certain that this VSAT network will be suitable for Sberbank’s present and future objectives,” said Igor Zabolotny, deputy director general of RSCC.

The LinkStar® VSAT system was designed from the start to be “DVB-RCS ready” and received a certificate of full compliance from SatLabs in April 2006. Since its introduction in 2001, more than 80,000 terminals and 130 LinkStar hubs have been installed worldwide. Any of those systems can be configured to DVB-RCS (Return Channel Satellite) operation through a software download. In addition, the new LinkStarS2 incorporates the DVB-S2 waveform, offering greater bandwidth efficiency to substantially reduce network operating costs.

“Sberbank is a key corporate client for us, and we’re delighted that our LinkStar satellite technology has been chosen to implement its networking needs,” said Jorge Vespoli, VP worldwide sales and marketing of ViaSat VSAT Networks. Robert Feierbach, managing director of EMEA & Latin America added: “ViaSat is already a leader in the Russian VSAT market. With this project, working together with the Russian Satellite Communications Company and RACE Communications, we will further increase our ability to serve customers in Russia.”

About Sberbank (www.sbrf.ru)
Sberbank (Savings Bank of the Russian Federation) is the Russian banking industry leader, accounting for over a quarter of national banking assets. Established in 1841, it became an open joint-stock company in 1991. The General License of Sberbank allows it to operate as a universal commercial bank in every segment of the financial markets, providing its customers with the full range of banking services.

About "The Russian Satellite Communications Company" (RSCC) (www.rscc.ru)
The Russian Satellite Communications Company, established in 1967, is a national satellite communications operator with global coverage. RSCC is one of the world’s ten largest satellite communications operators in terms of satellite capacity.

RSCC owns and operates 11 geosynchronous satellites providing service in the C-, Ku-, and L-bands. The satellites are positioned between 14W and 145E, and cover Russia, the CIS, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific, North and South America, and Australia.

RSCC provides a wide range of communications services via its satellite fleet and terrestrial facilities: TV and radio broadcasting, occasional use, telephony, data, Internet, video-conferencing, VSAT networks, telemedicine, and distance learning.

About RACE Communications (www.race.ru)
Race Communications is a leading system integrator, based in Moscow, specializing in development, construction and maintenance of corporate communication data systems, system integration, consulting, technical support and training, and distribution of telecommunications hardware and software. The Company implements a complete scope of construction works for telecommunications systems: design, delivery, installation, start-up and control, as well as maintenance and operation of such networks.

Safe Harbor Statement
Portions of this release, particularly statements about performance of ViaSat VSAT products, may contain forward-looking statements regarding future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties. ViaSat wishes to caution you that there are some factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, including but not limited to: regulatory issues, product defects, contractual problems, technologies that do not perform according to expectations; and other factors affecting the telecommunications industry generally. The Company refers you to the documents it files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, specifically the section titled Factors That May Affect Future Performance in the Company's Form 10-K, which contain and identify other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in our projections or forward-looking statements. Stockholders and other readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. We undertake no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements.


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