ViaSat Exede Internet Service Tops FCC Report for Second Consecutive Year
CARLSBAD, Calif., June 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- For the second consecutive year, Exede® high-speed satellite Internet from ViaSat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT) led all other Internet services in delivering advertised speeds in the FCC 2014 Measuring Broadband America report released today. The report measures actual service performance of fixed broadband subscribers and Exede service delivered approximately 140 percent of its advertised upload and download speeds during peak periods.
The report evaluates and compares results from 14 broadband providers, including DSL, cable, fiber, and satellite. Collectively, the report’s findings represent 80 percent of U.S. broadband connections. ViaSat was the only satellite provider that agreed to be included in the 2014 study.
At a time when many Internet customers are concerned they’re not getting the speeds they pay for, the report validates that an Exede subscriber paying for 12 Mbps download speeds has a good chance of getting at least 17 Mbps or more. Exede Internet led all participating Internet services in delivering 139 percent of advertised download speeds and 138 percent of upload speeds during peak periods. Exede high-speed Internet service also tops the charts in actual versus advertised hourly sustained download speeds.
“We’ve taken the top spot again and it is even more gratifying this year because it shows we can consistently deliver great results to our customers, even with our ViaSat-1 satellite more than half full,” said Lisa Scalpone, vice president of ViaSat Broadband. “Our most important objective is to provide our subscribers with an exceptional customer experience, and we think delivering the speeds we promise is essential to that goal.”
The FCC findings underscore the value of satellite Internet, particularly as state and local governments are looking for ways to bring broadband to unserved and underserved areas around the country. Exede Internet is available to most U.S. households with no need for expensive infrastructure expansion to deliver service.
Scalpone said ViaSat’s commitment to delivering customer value and service will continue to drive expansion. Over the past two years, the Exede service network has grown from the original Exede Internet residential service to include a number of innovative services for several applications. Now the company also offers Exede Voice phone service to residential subscribers; Exede In the Air high-speed in-flight Internet for airline passengers on two major carriers; Exede Business for added speed and data tailored to business subscribers; and Exede Enterprise communications for live events, field operations, disaster response, and newsgathering.
ViaSat has also announced plans for the launch of another groundbreaking satellite, ViaSat-2, scheduled to launch in mid-2016. Its launch is expected to facilitate a significant expansion of Exede services, capacity, speed, and coverage areas.
A full copy of the FCC report, issued by the Office of Engineering and Technology and Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, is available at www.fcc.gov/measuring-broadband-america.
About Exede (www.exede.com)
Exede, a service of ViaSat Inc., delivers high-speed Internet to residential subscribers and businesses across the U.S. With download speeds of up to 12 Mbps, the Exede service has transformed satellite Internet for households that previously had slow, inadequate Internet service. In 2014, the company introduced Exede Business, a 15 Mbps service that includes a generous data allowance and 24 x 7 U.S.-based customer support. ViaSat also offers Exede Voice residential telephone service over its network, optimized for quality and reliability. For the second consecutive year, Exede Internet led all Internet service providers in surpassing advertised speeds in the FCC annual benchmarking report, Measuring Broadband America. ViaSat-1 earned a Guinness World Records® achievement as the highest-capacity communications satellite in the world.
About ViaSat (www.viasat.com)
ViaSat creates satellite and other wireless networking systems that efficiently deliver the most bandwidth for fast, secure, and high-quality communications to any location for consumers, governments, enterprises, and the military. The company offers Exede services in North America, which feature ViaSat-1, the world’s highest capacity satellite; worldwide mobile satellite services, including high-speed in-flight Internet as well as global tracking and messaging; satellite broadband networking systems; and network-centric military communication systems and cybersecurity for the U.S. and allied governments. ViaSat also offers communication system design and a number of complementary products and technologies. Based in Carlsbad, California, ViaSat employs over 3,100 people in a number of locations worldwide for technology development, customer service, and network operations.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to the safe harbors created under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward looking statements include statements about download speeds, consistent results, expansion of services, capacity, speed and coverage areas, and about the future launch and capabilities of ViaSat-2. ViaSat wishes to caution you that there are some factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, including but not limited to: the ability to successfully implement ViaSat’s business plan for broadband satellite services on ViaSat’s anticipated timeline or at all; risks associated with the construction, launch and operation of ViaSat’s satellites, including the effect of any anomaly, operational failure or degradation in satellite performance; negative audits by the U.S. government; continued turmoil in the global business environment and economic conditions; delays in approving U.S. government budgets and cuts in government defense expenditures; ViaSat’s reliance on U.S. government contracts, and on a small number of contracts which account for a significant percentage of ViaSat’s revenues; the ability to successfully develop, introduce and sell new technologies, products and services; reduced demand for products as a result of continued constraints on capital spending by customers; changes in relationships with, or the financial condition of, key customers or suppliers; reliance on a limited number of third parties to manufacture and supply ViaSat’s products; increased competition and other factors affecting the communications and defense industries generally; the effect of adverse regulatory changes on ViaSat’s ability to sell products and services; ViaSat’s level of indebtedness and ability to comply with applicable debt covenants; ViaSat’s involvement in litigation, including intellectual property claims and litigation to protect proprietary technology; and ViaSat’s dependence on a limited number of key employees. In addition, please refer to the risk factors contained in ViaSat’s SEC filings available at www.sec.gov, including ViaSat’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. ViaSat undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements for any reason.
Exede is a registered trademark of ViaSat Inc.
Guinness World Records is a registered trademark of Guinness World Records Ltd.
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SOURCE ViaSat Inc.
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