As we ready for 2020, we’re taking a moment to remember the year that was. This is the third of three posts highlighting some of the top stories of 2019. In this group, we focus on stories about Viasat’s corporate growth, from expansion into other countries to our future expansion around the globe.
How Viasat plans to carry out its mission of connecting the world
Bringing connectivity to unserved and underserved areas of the world is a huge undertaking. In this post, a number of the company’s leaders discuss Viasat’s global expansion plans. Those challenges include determining the products and services that are best for each country, negotiating international regulations, global partnerships and scaling the company workforce as it grows.
Viasat teams with Facebook to expand internet options in rural Mexico
Viasat and Facebook will work together to accelerate the rollout of Viasat’s Community Wi-Fi, with Facebook helping identify unconnected and poorly connected communities in Mexico that would benefit from Viasat’s service.
Facebook shares Viasat’s goal of reaching the unconnected, making it a mutually beneficial collaboration.
The collaboration with Facebook will accelerate Viasat’s deployment in Mexico by helping to identify locations for Community Wi-Fi.
Effort to connect Brazil with satellite broadband moves into high gear
A Brazilian federal court ruling means Viasat can move full speed ahead with its work to connect the unconnected in Brazil.
Since the fall of 2018, Viasat and Brazilian telecommunications company Telebras have installed more than 4,500 broadband access sites in Brazil – most schools in remote areas – as part of a government program.
The partnership also calls for offering other types of satellite broadband services, including Community Wi-Fi, residential and in-flight Wi-Fi for airplanes.
A special federal court, the TCU, approved the Viasat contract on May 22, 2019. This ruling allows Viasat to proceed with launching commercial service.
Podcast: ViaSat-3’s three-satellite constellation is a breed apart from its predecessors
If providing global coverage wasn’t enough to set ViaSat-3 apart, Viasat’s Vice President of Space and Commercial Networks Dave Ryan points to some other key differentiators. Each ViaSat-3 satellite is expected to have over 1 terabit per second of capacity, and the constellation will be able to shift capacity to where it’s needed.
Mexico partnership expands work to bring high-speed internet to public spaces
Viasat and telecom wholesaler Ubix are partnering to more quickly connect schools, clinics and government sites to high-speed internet.
Most of the schools have historically had little or no connectivity.
The move represents the latest step in Viasat’s expansion of its internet service across Mexico. Earlier this year, Viasat opened an office in Mexico City, situating the company in the middle of Mexico as it looks to bring new satellite-enabled connectivity services to the country. Partners such as Facebook have joined in, helping to serve unconnected and poorly connected communities in Mexico that would benefit from Viasat’s service.
Viasat gains expanding Ka-band spectrum availability to provide satellite broadband mobility services
A treaty signed at the 2019 World Radiocommunication Conference provides access to more global Ka-band spectrum, which will allow Viasat to offer even better service to airplanes, ships and other mobile users worldwide.
International Telecommunication Union member states, who manage radio-frequency spectrum for geostationary satellites, signed the treaty. Viasat requires more Ka-band spectrum to support the mobility services it plans to provide with the ViaSat-3 constellation.
Connecting Mexico: Viasat introduces residential service
Viasat is offering a new residential service in Mexico, aimed at helping connect the millions of people there who don’t have access to a high-quality, reliable broadband internet connection.
Using bandwidth from ViaSat-2 — the world’s most advanced high-capacity communications satellite — the new residential service gives customers in select areas of Mexico the ability to connect with speeds up to 50 Mbps. That makes it the fastest satellite internet service available in the country.
Available today in select areas in nine states, the competitively priced service is expected to be rolled out to additional Mexican states in early 2020. Viasat is continuing to work with local distribution and fulfillment partners to make the service available in all states within Mexico.
