Spacenet Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Gilat Satellite Networks
Ltd. (Nasdaq: GILT) and a leading provider of networking solutions,
announced today that it has introduced its new Emergency Communications
Service (ECS). The new service offering is designed to provide a more
cost-effective and flexible satellite solution, leveraging an always on
pay-as-you-use service plan with dedicated satellite bandwidth for
readily available and reliable emergency communications. ECS is ideal
for public safety and first responder agencies such as police, fire
departments, and medical emergency teams as well as federal agencies
such as FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security who require network
continuity for disaster planning, but also face the reality of budget
limitations. The new service is being offered just in time for hurricane
season and provides coverage to virtually all U.S. hurricane-prone
regions.
Spacenet has been offering similar solutions to a number of
organizations including a recent opportunity to provide satellite
equipment and services to the American Red Cross through a partnership
with EchoStar Satellite Services in support of disaster relief efforts
in Haiti. Because satellite technology can be deployed virtually
anywhere and does not depend on local network infrastructure, it has
played a large part in the re-establishment of data and voice
communications networks during severe weather conditions. ECS is ideal
for organizations in the coastal regions and helps eliminate the risks
of network outages during hurricane season, including safety concerns,
lost productivity and liability.
“Spacenet’s ECS offering was designed to provide a more cost-effective
and reliable satellite communications solution for emergency
situations,” said Spacenet Vice President of Government Services Mike
Mazza. “The Spacenet ECS solution is drastically different than most of
the existing part time services available today. Most of these services
are based on a highly oversubscribed and shared bandwidth model, which
can result in poor service quality, especially during emergency
situations when multiple users need access. The ECS service, on the
other hand, includes dedicated bandwidth and service level agreements to
ensure a high-quality and reliable solution at a low cost. With ECS,
customers pay a low monthly standby fee and then only pay for service
when or if they actually need it, and more importantly, the service is
available when they really need it.”
The ECS service is powered by the field-proven SkyEdge II VSAT
technology. The VSAT router is integrated with mobile auto-deploy
antenna systems and can be easily installed on mobile command vehicles
and trailers, or at standard fixed locations. ECS features include a
range of service packages with multi-megabit speeds; dedicated bandwidth
during deployment; daily or weekly usage service plans; full support for
converged data, voice and video applications; and 24 x 7 U.S. based
premium customer support.
For more information on ECS and Spacenet’s complete line of solutions
for hurricane preparedness visit www.spacenet.com/emergency-communications.
About Spacenet
Founded in 1981, Spacenet Inc designs, develops, and manages wireline
and wireless broadband network solutions for US based business,
industrial and government customers. Spacenet has a longstanding
tradition of industry leadership and innovation, and today has more than
100,000 operational network endpoints for customers including many
Fortune 500 companies and major government agencies. Spacenet offers a
complete product and services portfolio for applications ranging from
primary communications for corporate applications and secure data
transfer, to hot stand-by solutions for continuity of operations and
network backup, or field deployable solutions for disaster recovery and
emergency management. Spacenet Integrated Government Solutions, a wholly
owned subsidiary of Spacenet Inc, delivers network and communications
solutions to the Department of Defense, Homeland Security, the
Intelligence community and other government related agencies. Spacenet
is based in McLean, Virginia, and operates its own end-to-end services
infrastructure including network management, field services and teleport
facilities in McLean, VA; Atlanta, Georgia; and Chicago, Illinois.
Spacenet is a wholly owned subsidiary of Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd.
(Nasdaq: GILT). Visit Spacenet at www.spacenet.com.
Spacenet Inc.
Jon Douglas, 703-848-1221
jon.douglas@spacenet.com