ViaSat Selected to Enable Ka-band High-Capacity Satellite Services for Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

April 25, 2012

 Representing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), King Abdul-aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) is leading the transformation of satellite broadband in the KSA. KACST has selected the high-capacity Ka-band satellite system from ViaSat Inc. as the service platform for its National Satellite Data Network based on the system's ability to deliver exceptional broadband speeds and a user experience similar to some of the fastest terrestrial broadband services for most applications.

The KACST contract, valued at approximately $70 million, includes gateways, network operation facilities, and end user terminals to implement the services using high-capacity Ka-band capacity hosted on the Arabsat-5C satellite. Arabsat and ViaSat collaborated on the development of Arabsat-5C to add a 10-spot beam, high-capacity Ka-band payload.

"With our National Satellite Data Network we will serve our customers with exceptional speeds and capacity throughout the Kingdom," said H.E. Dr. Mohammed ibn Ibrahim Al-Suwaiyel, president of KACST.

As the KSA's center for Saudi Arabian national science and its national laboratories, KACST fosters national innovation and technology transfer between research institutes and industry.

In selecting ViaSat, and its KSA team including High Capabilities Technologies Co. Ltd (HICAP) and Modern Technology Co. Ltd (MOTECO), the KSA adds to expanding global Ka-band coverage that includes service networks under the Exede(SM) by ViaSat brand in the U.S., Xplornet in Canada, and Eutelsat Tooway across Europe and the Mediterranean basin.

"The key to two-way broadband is maximizing capacity or bits available to the end users to be served," said H.E. Dr. Mohammed ibn Ibrahim Al-Suwaiyel. "To accomplish that, our satellite and our satellite services include key attributes from the world-class ViaSat-1 and Eutelsat KA-SAT satellites."

ViaSat will perform the program in cooperation with its KSA teammates MOTECO/HICAP.

"We look forward to continuing over 30 years of cooperation with ViaSat as we implement this important program for KSA," said Sheikh Farhan AL-Faisal, president & CEO MOTECO & vice president of HICAP.