MELBOURNE, Australia,
June 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/
-- Building on its existing presence in Australia, Viasat
Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a global communications company, announced
today its plans to launch a Real-Time Earth (RTE) facility in Alice
Springs, Australia. Viasat has
partnered with the Centre for Appropriate Technology Ltd (CfAT), an
Aboriginal not-for-profit science and technology company based in
Alice Springs, which will build and own the facility through its
wholly-owned commercial subsidiary CfAT Satellite Enterprises Pty
Ltd, and Indigenous Business Australia (IBA), an Australian
Commonwealth commercially-focused government authority, which will
help finance the project and provide related commercial advice and
support.
This multi-million dollar investment in Alice Springs will
enable Central Australia to be a
key player in the burgeoning global satellite and space industry,
and Indigenous Australians to be leading participants in the
sector. The investment is also strongly aligned with the priorities
for the Australian Space Agency which is seeking to increase
opportunities within Australia's
space industry and develop world-leading core satellite
infrastructure.
The Viasat RTE system will be a hybrid space and ground network
that is expected to bring affordability and reduced latency to
earth observation and remote sensing applications. The Viasat RTE
network is typically used by low earth orbit (LEO) satellite
operators to bring end-users—environmental, shipping, oil and gas,
government among other industries—access to data on demand without
the need to invest in a dedicated antenna system.
Dr. Steve Rogers, CEO of CfAT Ltd
said, "Working with Viasat and IBA on the development of the RTE
facility demonstrates the capacity of CfAT to continue to
contribute positively to technology and critical space advancements
in outback Australia. The
development will provide a positive contribution to the local
economy through contract opportunities for local businesses during
the facility construction phase, and ongoing employment
opportunities for local Aboriginal people once operational—as the
CfAT facilities management team will be providing on-going site
maintenance."
"IBA's investment in Viasat's RTE facility alongside our
Indigenous partner, CfAT, is a light-house project that shows the
world that Aborignal people can be at the forefront of new
technology industries in Australia," said Rajiv
Viswanathan, CEO of IBA. "CfAT is a successful Aboriginal
corporation that has for many years been at the vanguard of
technology innovation and application in remote Australia. We expect the RTE facility at
CfAT's headquarters will create a platform from which CfAT can grow
its business in Australia and,
potentially, globally—as it looks to generate commercial returns
for CfAT as well as flow-on benefits for the local economy via
employment and supply chain opportunities. We are proud to support
local businesses in realizing their ambitions for growth in the
space sector."
John Williams, vice president of
Real-Time Earth at Viasat added, "Partnering with CfAT and IBA in
Australia will enable us to build
a state-of-the-art RTE ground station that will offer multiple
benefits both locally and globally, from bringing new jobs and
opportunities to the region to advancing how remote sensing data is
delivered around the world. We are revolutionizing data delivery
for LEO satellites, bringing affordability and lower latency
communications to earth observation and remote sensing
applications. The Alice Springs community will be a big part in our
development and execution of these advancements."
Alice Springs, Australia Location
Viasat's RTE satellite ground station facility will be located
at CfAT's Heath Road site in Alice Springs, Australia. It will consist of two Viasat
full-motion antenna systems and associated infrastructure. The new
ground station will form part of the Viasat RTE network and will
complement other Viasat RTE sites in North America, South
America and Europe.
About CfAT Ltd
CfAT is an Aboriginal company, with 50% Aboriginal workforce,
established in the 1980's, that operates across regional and remote
Australia delivering
infrastructure and technology solutions mostly to Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander communities, providing service and
infrastructure platforms that allow people to maintain their
relationship with country. The company's approach is driven
by the view that the successful delivery of services and the
technologies and infrastructure used to achieve them will be
different to the way things are done in urban Australia. This
has shaped our success and led to the development of highly
innovative new technologies. www.cfat.org.au
About IBA
IBA is a commercially focused Australian Government
organisation. Economic independence for Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander peoples is at the heart of what we do. Our programs
assist Indigenous Australians to buy their own homes, be successful
in business, and invest in commercial ventures that provide strong
financial returns. https://www.iba.gov.au/
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 Statement
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 statements about the expected completion date of
the RTE facility, the facility's positive contribution to the local
economy through contract opportunities, ongoing employment
opportunities for Indigenous Australia, and growth of business;
Viasat's ability to enable earth observation and remote sensing
data; the ability to build, finance, service and maintain the
system; and the location of the RTE facility. 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: contractual problems, product defects,
manufacturing issues or delays, regulatory issues, technologies not
being developed according to anticipated schedules, or that do not
perform according to expectations; our ability to successfully
develop, introduce and sell new technologies, products and
services; reduced demand for products and services as a result of
continued constraints on capital spending by customers; changes in
relationships with, or the financial condition of, key customers or
suppliers; and increased competition and other factors affecting
the communications market generally. In addition, 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, the
Viasat logo and the Viasat signal are registered trademarks 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.