BRASÍLIA, Brazil, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Telecomunicações
Brasileiras SA, Telebras, a Brazilian state-owned
telecommunications services provider, and Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ:
VSAT), a global communications company, announced today that
approximately 900,000 students in nearly 3,000 public schools and
hundreds of additional sites across Brazil have already received access to
high-speed internet through the Geostationary Satellite of Defense
and Strategic Communications (SGDC-1), under the initiative of the
Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovations and Communications
(MCTIC) through the Brazilian e-government initiative "Governo
Eletrônico - Serviço de Atendimento ao Cidadão (GESAC)." Hundreds
of additional sites have also benefited, such as border patrol
posts from the Armed Forces, public health units and indigenous
villages.
In this partnership, Telebras is responsible for the management,
commercialization and operation of the SGDC-1 satellite, while
Viasat provides its terrestrial network equipment and satellite
services widely used in the international market. Jointly the
companies are focused on maximizing the use of the SGDC-1
satellite's capacity to bring high-speed broadband services to
communities where internet service has historically been
unavailable.
Most of the localities served are in the North and Northeast of
the country, with a priority focus on remote and difficult to reach
communities — some with no telephone signal or only basic internet
infrastructure.
According to the president of Telebras, Waldemar Gonçalves, the
viability of the SGDC-1 project, through the partnership, will
strengthen Telebras as a strategic company of the Government and
will improve the lives of millions of Brazilians who are currently
disconnected. "The SGDC-1 is a state project that, besides
providing technological development to Brazil, significantly bolsters security to
strategic communications, reinforcing national sovereignty."
By the end of the year, Telebras and Viasat hope to connect more
than 8,000 schools and 400 healthcare facilities across the
country, initially prioritizing states with the most minimal
broadband internet infrastructure. Overall, GESAC's public policy
foresees around 15,000 points installed before the end of this
year.
Help in Pacaraima and Brumadinho
In October 2018, the Brazilian Court
of Accounts (TCU) found the partnership between Telebras and Viasat
legal, which allowed the installation of the terrestrial antennas
and infrastructure, ensuring the SGDC-1 satellite could operate.
Availability of the satellite has been critical in the recent past
few months — especially in humanitarian and emergency situations.
For example: in Pacaraima and Brumadinho.
Pacaraima, in the state of Roraima and located on the border
with Venezuela, was the first city
to receive access to satellite internet under the GESAC program.
The system was installed in March
2018, serving border posts of the Armed Forces, health units
and indigenous villages, as well as public schools connecting
thousands of students. The region has faced a humanitarian crisis,
receiving thousands of Venezuelan refugees seeking shelter in
Brazil. "It was one of the first
places to be considered for satellite service under the GESAC
initiative, because it was undergoing an emergency situation in a
difficult to reach location. Satellite internet was the most viable
solution in terms of cost, installation speed and signal quality,"
said Lisa Scalpone, vice president
and general manager, Viasat Brazil.
Another example of SGDC-1's importance was the provision of
critical communications services during the Brumadinho tragedy, in
January 2019, in which a dam from
Vale broke and hit the region. Immediately, the Telebras-Viasat
partnership was able to quickly install a satellite communication
system to assist the rescue teams in operation and facilitate
contact with hospitals and communication between relatives of the
victims. In less than one week, the Telebras-Viasat team installed
22 communications services antennas, with speeds of up to 20 Mbps
each. The service was offered free of charge to the Central
Operations Command, the Federal and Military Police of Minas
Gerais, the Air Force, Fire Brigade, Civil Defense, the Israeli
military in support of field operations, the service of
registration of families in need and the community-at-large in the
region. Total voice and data traffic by the Telebras satellite
exceeded 300 GB, which proved the need for such solutions in times
of emergency.
About Telebras
Telebras is a mixed-capital and publicly traded company, linked to
the Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovation and Communications
(MCTIC). It is today identified as the telecommunications arm of
the State in the execution of policies for the sector and in the
strategic guarantee of a private and secure network for the traffic
of public administration information. The SGDC project and the more
than 26,000 kilometers of the terrestrial fiber optic network form
the most modern and comprehensive telecommunications network in
Brazil, offering integrated
solutions throughout the country.
About Viasat
Viasat is a global communications company that believes everyone
and everything in the world can be connected. For more than 30
years, Viasat has helped shape how consumers, businesses,
governments and militaries around the world communicate. Today, the
Company is developing the ultimate global communications network to
power high-quality, secure, affordable, fast connections to impact
people's lives anywhere they are—on the ground, in the air or at
sea. To learn more about Viasat, visit: www.viasat.com, go
to Viasat's Corporate Blog, or follow the Company on social
media
at: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter or YouTube.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are
subject to the safe harbors created under the Securities Act of
1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward looking
statements include among others, statements about the benefits of
the strategic agreement between Viasat and Telebras; the
strengthening of Telebras; improvement of lives; and the number and
prioritization of sites that will be connected in the future.
Readers are cautioned that actual results could differ materially
from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Factors
that could cause actual results to differ include: the parties'
ability to successfully integrate and operate the new strategic
agreement, and achieve expected synergies and other benefits; the
ability to attract and retain key employees for the new strategic
agreement; the impact of competition; the ability to develop
products and technologies; the impact of changes in the financial
markets and global economic conditions; risks associated with the
operation of Viasat's ground segment infrastructure;
risks associated with the operation of Telebras' satellite, which
is to be used to supply new internet services, including the effect
of any anomaly, operational failure or degradation in satellite
performance; reduced demand for products as a result of constraints
on capital spending by customers; changes in relationships with, or
the financial condition of, key customers or suppliers; reliance on
a limited number of third parties to manufacture and supply
products; and other factors as may be detailed from time to time in
the Company's public announcements and SEC filings. Please refer to
the risk factors contained in Viasat's SEC filings available
at www.sec.gov, including Viasat's most recent Annual Report
on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Readers are
cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking
statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made.
Viasat undertakes no obligation to update or revise any
forward-looking statements for any reason.
Copyright © 2019 Viasat, Inc. All rights reserved. Viasat is a
registered trademark of Viasat, Inc. The Viasat logo is a trademark
of Viasat, Inc. All other product or company names mentioned are
used for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of
their respective owners.
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SOURCE Viasat, Inc.