STM Group announced today that its subsidiary, STM Norway AS, has entered into a supply agreement with Avanti Communications Ltd (Avanti), for delivery of a carrier-class Hub and 5000 satellite ground terminals based on STM's SatLink product family, the leading DVB-RCS compliant, MF-TDMA satellite networking system.
Located in the U.K., Avanti is a pre-eminent provider of satellite broadband services throughout Europe and is launching its first satellite called Hylas in 2009. The Hylas satellite, which is undergoing construction with support from the European Space Agency, is licensed for operation with 3.6 GHz of Ka-Band spectrum from 33.5 degrees west. The satellite, scheduled for delivery in December 2008 will have the capacity to support service to about 500,000 users using a multi-beam architecture that will provide higher throughput at lower usage cost.
The Hub and terminals to be supplied by STM will be used for satisfying the current market demand in the U.K. and Eastern Europe and will later be migrated to the new Hylas satellite as it comes into operation in 2009. STM and Avanti intend to expand their collaboration for further development of broadband services and technology in Europe.
Emil Youssefzadeh, CEO of STM Group, said, "The contract award by Avanti underscores our commitment to the DVB-RCS standard and further enhancement of the technology as it continues to gain worldwide acceptance." With an expanding presence and an R&D lab located in Norway, STM continues to work actively on implementation and enhancement of the DVB-RCS technology, which is currently serving fixed and mobile applications. David Williams, Avanti CEO, commented, "Our selection of STM as a technology and service partner will allow us to more rapidly develop the European market in anticipation of Hylas' launch in 2009."
About Avanti:
Avanti Communications Group is licensed by Ofcom to provide satellite services in the Ka-Band using the geo-stationery orbital position at 33.5 degrees west with coverage of Western Europe and most of Central and Eastern Europe. The Company's first satellite HYLAS, uses unique technologies to provide highly flexible and cost effective satellite capacity. Avanti sells wholesale HYLAS capacity to telecoms and media service providers in Europe. The core applications for which Avanti expects HYLAS capacity to be used are broadband, corporate networks and video distribution.
About STM Group:
STM Group is a holding company, (www.stmi.com) with R&D and support facilities in Norway and production and sales offices throughout the world. The group subsidiaries are engaged in the supply of turnkey satellite systems and services using teleports owned and operated in several regions. STM predominantly serves Telecom operators which use satellite based services to augment their terrestrial offerings. A broad range of vertical markets are served by STM's Satlink and Solante products platforms, for IP-based networking, telephony, cellular and bandwidth-on-demand data applications. STM has regional presence in Europe, Africa, Russia, Middle East, and parts of Asia and South America, along with a number of in-country sales representatives throughout the world.
