Avanti Signs Four Major UK Satellite Broadband ISP Contracts

Four new major supply deals have been signed with Broadbandwherever, KBR IT & Networking Solutions, Avonline plc and Coview Solutions by UK satellite broadband provider Avanti Communications. Over the next two years the deals with these companies are believed to be worth a total of at least £400 000.

The chief executive of Avanti, David William said “I am pleased to report strong momentum in consolidating our lead in European satellite broadband. We now have 42 service providers around Europe which puts us in a great position to fill our first satellite, HYLAS, quickly when it launches. Our wins in the UK are also important in the light of the British Government’s “Digital Britain” study. When the final report is published in June, Avanti expects it to recommend the use of satellite to address the 10% of UK population which does not have access to acceptable terrestrial broadband services.

We now have the distribution in the UK to cope with large scale and rapid deployment.”

At some point this year Hylas, which is the first satellite from Avanti and is currently under construction is due to be released. Although this satellite is not the first to cover Europe, it is, however, the first European launched broadband satellite. Usually leased satellite capacity is used to provide customers in Europe with broadband services from Avanti.

The main issue with satellite technology is that it is far from a perfect technology, and even Mobile broadband services offer customers more, which is why mobile broadband is being consider over satellite service to help bridge the Digital Divide as part of the 2Mbps USO. A number of services including online multiplayer games are ruled out with satellite broadband due to very high latency, costly data rates and its highly variable performance issues. Many in the industry feel that rather that spending more on developing wireless or proper fixed line coverage, using satellite is more of a quick fix than a pure solution.