Aug 28, 2018   SOURCE: BusinessWire

COMSAT and Avanti Communications plc Sign Seven Year Master Distribution Agreement

COMSAT, a leader in satellite connectivity to the US DoD, has announced a seven year Master Distribution Agreement (MDA) with London‐listed Avanti Communications plc (AVN.L).

COMSAT will benefit from the Avanti advanced satellite fleet and particularly from the Hylas 4 satellite, a High‐Throughput Satellite (HTS), focused on the Middle East and Africa. In turn, Avanti will gain immediate access to US global governmental and military activity that may otherwise take multiple years to gain approval to serve. Hylas‐4, with four uniquely steerable HTS beams and a further 64 Fixed beams, will enter service in September, 2018.

The agreement will allow COMSAT to offer advanced, complete service packages to its customers, with focus on Africa and the Middle East and on particular high‐value deployments currently planned or underway.

Comments David Greenhill, President of COMSAT: “With Avanti, we have found a well‐balanced partner to better‐serve our customers. Our decades of experience and technical capability will blend with their state‐of‐art, WGS‐compatible, Hylas‐4 satellite, built by US manufacturer, Orbital ATK. We look forward to delivering great performance and value for our customers.”

Kyle Whitehill, CEO of Avanti observed: “Our partnership with COMSAT is disruptive in the most positive way. It takes us into new markets, with our highly capable satellite fleet paired to a global leader in Satcom innovation. We are delighted to create shareholder value through new opportunity. Avanti advances on.”

Notes to Editors:

About COMSAT:

COMSAT, Inc. is a leading operator of customized, secure end-to-end satellite communications services. We deliver a full portfolio of fixed satellite solutions (C-Band, Ku-Band, Ka-Band, X-Band and UHF) and mobile satellite solutions (Inmarsat, Thuraya and Iridium) to aeronautical, land-mobile and maritime users in multiple markets, including U.S. government and military, global governments, educational institutions and commercial maritime. COMSAT owns and operates two teleports located in Southbury, CT and Santa Paula, CA that provide various communications and data center services to commercial, government and educational institutions worldwide including end-to-end connectivity, co-location and research efforts, critical data backup and recovery, satellite and terrestrial network data center, cloud and cybersecurity services.

About Avanti Communications:

Avanti connects people wherever they are – in their homes, businesses, in government and on mobiles. Through the HYLAS satellite fleet and partners in 118 countries, the network provides ubiquitous internet service to a quarter of the world’s population. Avanti delivers the level of quality and flexibility that the most demanding telecoms customers in the world seek. Avanti is the first mover in high throughput satellite data communications in EMEA. It has rights to orbital slots and KA-band spectrum in perpetuity that covers an end market of over 1.7bn people. The Group has invested $1.2bn in a network that incorporates satellites, ground stations, datacentres and a fibre ring. Avanti has a unique Cloud-based customer interface that is protected by patented technology. Avanti Communications is listed in London on AIM (AVN:L).

www.avantiplc.com