EchoStar Delivers Transponder and Uplink Capacity for Vredes to Support Emergency Management and Oil and Gas Industries
ENGLEWOOD, CO, Jan 14, 2009 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX News Network) -- EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS) and its EchoStar Satellite Services division announced today an agreement with Vredes, Inc., to provide satellite services for emergency management and other remote location broadcast demands.
With access to EchoStar's satellites and state-of-the-art digital broadcast centers, Vredes will provide fully redundant transponder and hub services to support MotoSAT and its EtherSAT(TM) Service, which offers government and enterprise customers redundant, on-demand broadband internet, voice and video services, especially during national disasters or when working in remote locations.
Vredes will have the ability to provide MotoSAT with domestic Ku-band satellite access across multiple satellites via EchoStar's uplink facilities, giving MotoSAT customers an always-on, redundant hub. MotoSAT's mobile antenna can be placed on emergency management vehicles or commercial vehicles in remote locations and send and receive broadband data quickly via satellite, particularly when landlines are unavailable or have been disabled due to national emergencies. MotoSAT's motorized antenna solution eliminates the need for customers to re-point dishes, ensuring quick operation.
"We are delighted to enter into this agreement with Vredes to provide a fully redundant, satellite-based communications network," said Steve Skalski, vice president of EchoStar Satellite Services. "With EchoStar's U.S. fleet of powerful Ku and Ka-band satellites, we are able to provide a long-term solution to help Vredes and its partners like MotoSAT build one of the most robust and reliable satellite-based networks anywhere."
EchoStar's satellites can deliver a more robust and dependable connection than relying on landlines or cell towers. For example, Westchester County Emergency Management in New York is an existing customer who will now have the ability to move between multiple satellites and multiple hubs without any network changes. The authentication is fully automated, and customers can select the amount of shared or dedicated bandwidth needed on an hourly, daily or monthly basis. Multiple satellite access means multiple look angles in rugged canyons or in cities with tall buildings.
Global Network Management System
"MotoSAT is excited to announce the first phase of our new Global Network Management System (GNMS) for our EtherSAT(TM) broadband service," said Jim Pendleton, president and co-founder of MotoSAT. "This new long-term agreement between our network manager, Vredes, and EchoStar allows our North American customers to have a network of redundant uplink hubs with service on multiple EchoStar satellites. This service, which is already in place and operational, will meet our customers' needs for bandwidth when and where they need it."
"The MotoSAT GNMS platform is based on the full integration of its fixed and mobile self-aligning antennas using iDirect satellite-based IP communications technology and was developed by Vredes in response to our customers' specific needs for a highly reliable service with exceptional performance," said Ed Travis, CTO and co-founder of MotoSAT. "We are confident that this new service will become the standard for customers within the emergency response, oil and gas and other commercial mobile satellite communication industries."
David Stephens, president of Vredes, said, "MotoSAT's new MESA fixed, self-aligning antenna provides a whole new level of on-demand service for fixed-base customers who need back-up and redundancy for their land-based networks. Now fixed-base customers can have the same redundancy and emergency bandwidth as their mobile antenna customers."
About EchoStar Corporation
EchoStar provides equipment sales, digital broadcast operations, and satellite services worldwide. EchoStar has 25 years of experience designing, developing and distributing advanced award-winning set-top boxes and related products for pay television providers. The company includes a network of 10 full-service digital broadcast centers and leased fiber optic capacity with points of presence in approximately 160 U.S. cities. EchoStar delivers satellite services from eight owned and leased in-orbit satellites and related FCC licenses. Visit www.echostar.com.
About MotoSAT
MotoSAT has been manufacturing innovative mobile and fixed, self-aligning satellite antenna systems since 1984 and has provided satellite broadband services since 2001. MotoSAT currently has an installed base of over 25,000 customers and a network of over 250 dealers. MotoSAT bandwidth customers can now select from low-cost shared bandwidth all the way to dedicated connections of 10 Mbs and more. Customized solutions are also available. For more information on MotoSAT's fixed and mobile antennas or On-Demand, fully redundant broadband service, visit www.motosat.com or call 800-247-7486.
About Vredes
Vredes has been an iDirect Authorized Reseller and Network Operator since 2005. Vredes supports Virtual Network Operators and does not provide reseller or direct-to-customer services. VNO's may contact David Stephens at dave@vredes.com.
About iDirect
iDirect, a subsidiary of VT Systems, is transforming the way the world gets and stays connected. The company's satellite-based IP communications technology enables constant connectivity for voice, video and data applications in diverse and challenging environments. Visit www.idirect.net.
Press Contacts: Vredes: John Adams Email Contact 202-737-8400 Michelle Kincaid Email Contact 202-737-8400 EchoStar: Marc Lumpkin Email Contact 303-706-5236 MotoSAT: Jim Pendleton Email Contact 800-247-7486
SOURCE: EchoStar Corporation
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