Intelsat S.A., a leading provider of satellite services, and Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd., a worldwide leader in satellite networking technology, solutions and services, today announced a multi-year, multi-transponder agreement under which Gilat Colombia will use Intelsat Ku-band capacity on Intelsat 907 at 332.5° East to support the Kioscos Vive Digital 2 (KVDII) project.
KDVII provides connectivity to rural communities and schools in six regions within the framework of the Colombian Ministry’s national Kioscos Phase 2/VIVE DIGITAL project. Gilat’s SkyEdge II WebEnhance was chosen to be used in four of these, including the regions serviced by Gilat Colombia. Under the agreement between the companies, Gilat Colombia will use Intelsat’s satellite services for the three year initiative. As part of the project, Gilat will integrate its SkyEdge II WebEnhance data networking platform with Intelsat’s satellite services to provide internet connectivity to 1,903 kiosks within rural communities located in Colombia.
“Satellite continues to provide critical broadband infrastructure to regions where terrestrial technologies are not cost-effective or are unreliable or impossible to use given geographies,” said Carmen Gonzalez-Sanfeliu, Intelsat’s Regional Vice President, Latin America. “Gilat’s high-performing and efficient technology combined with Intelsat’s flexible and high-performing satellite services closes that divide and delivers essential internet connectivity and telephony to children and adults in communities across Colombia. The KVDII project is a great example of how the satellite community works together to provide the necessary connectivity to aid in the educational and economic development of fast growing economies, such as Colombia.”
“We have had a long and successful history of partnering with Intelsat to deliver broadband connectivity in some of the remotest regions of the world,” stated Danny Fridman, CEO of Gilat Colombia and Peru “The quality, flexibility and reliability of their satellite fleet and willingness to reposition the Intelsat 907 spot beam to help us deliver the internet to communities in Colombia made them the best partner to help support our efforts with the KVDII initiative.”
About Kioscos VIVE Digital
Kioscos VIVE Digital is an initiative of the Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications which aims to provide community Internet access points to 100% of the population centers of more than 100 people, by 2014. The project is focused on rural areas and remote locations as part of the aim to achieve digital inclusion of children, youth and adults of all ages. www.intelsat.com.