BGAN, Global Network, Internet Satellite Global

atrexx, a leading solutions provider for the telecommunication and broadcast industries, is offering customers that activate new SIM cards the opportunity to purchase pre-paid BGAN vouchers at discounted rates until 31 December 2010. Inmarsat’s BGAN (Broadband Global Area Network) is a mobile satellite service that allows subscribers to access Internet at broadband speed and to make phone calls at the same time at almost any location on the planet, using a terminal of less than a notebook PC size.

Discounts offered on exclusive BGAN prepay service

Especially beneficial for occasional users, the BGAN vouchers from atrexx are available with a discount of 10 percent for 250 traffic units and up to 20 percent for 5000 units. One traffic unit represents a one-minute call to a fixed network worldwide. atrexx will also waive the fee for service and SIM card activation during the promotional period.

 ”This offer is a great opportunity for new BGAN users. The option to buy pre-paid units is extremely popular, especially in regions like Africa where 99 percent of traditional land mobile communications is estimated to be on a pre-paid basis” said Miriam Zude, Account Manager at atrexx. “We are giving our customers the chance to use BGAN with no monthly fee but we can also offer them the option of topping up their pre-paid account online at $0.90 per unit using a credit card. After they have bought their units, they can then have peace of mind by monitoring the account online making it easy to manage.”

BGAN is a perfect communications choice for anyone that works or travels to regions where the communications infrastructure is lacking or non-existent. Another main attraction of the BGAN system is the fact that no specialist technical knowledge is required to deploy it and it can therefore be used by a huge range of user groups such as journalists, military personnel, aid workers, civil engineers and researchers to name a few.

Valid for 24 months after activation or after the last top-up, the atrexx prepaid service package provides voice applications with unique rates for terrestrial fixed networks and for cellular networks worldwide, broadband Internet access and SMS services. The SIM card may be used in any BGAN hardware.

Ms. Zude continued: “There are very few BGAN providers that offer a prepaid service and atrexx is proud to be one of those. We also offer customer BGAN equipment rental options at just $8.90 per day. This, coupled with the prepaid option, is the perfect choice for users who only need the equipment for a limited time. Prepay BGAN services give the customer flexibility and control over how much they spend at a time where budgets are constrained.”

Certification of Management System according to DIN EN ISO 9001:2008 confirmed

atrexx announced the results of the recent external audit of its Quality Management System (QMS) according to DIN EN ISO 9001:2008. The Company had initially achieved certification of its QMS in 2008. This certification is vital for atrexx to deliver quantifiable and continuous quality of service as a supplier and service provider for international building corporations, governmental institutions, military units, NATO and UN forces, as well as aid organizations in Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle EastAt the recently held second supportive system evaluation, the audit team noted that atrexx’ QMS continued to conform to the rules and regulations of the DIN EN ISO 9001:2008 standard and recommended the maintenance of the certificate.

With regard to the outcome of the customer satisfaction survey, Dipl.-Ing. Axel Laux, independent auditor with DQS stated: “atrexx identifies customer expectations and incorporates them directly into the Company’s performance development. Feedback from customers is processed promptly, and applicable steps are followed up to implementation. A high level of customer satisfaction is the result.”

Indeed, atrexx’ customer satisfaction survey, conducted online, revealed that 85% of atrexx’ customers have an excellent or good overall impression of the Company. The competence of atrexx’ staff was rated 88% excellent or good; the respective rating for friendliness in relation with customers hit 96%. Overall, in all of the five assessed criteria, results were very encouraging.

Alfred Hommes, atrexx quality management officer, emphasized: “We are delighted with the excellent result of the customer survey. This is an incentive for us to further increase the quality of our products and services. In the past 12 months we have evaluated our processes for effectiveness and efficiency and investigated potential causes of errors, using leading analytical methods. Furthermore, we have refined the criteria for the standardized assessment of our suppliers.”

Auditor Axel Laux commented on the identified strengths of the QMS: “atrexx has planned and developed processes that are vital for effective implementation of product and service requirements. Measurable objectives are defined and followed up. These objectives are put in place to ensure continued improvement of the management system’s effectiveness. Senior Management has demonstrated a personal and high commitment to maintaining a quality culture within the organization and ensuring that the standards set are communicated to employees. Internal audits and management reviews ensure the effectiveness of the system.”

Based on the audit report, Alfred Hommes explained the potential for developing the QMS over the next 12 months: “In order to facilitate the tracking of the implementation of documented measures to improve the existing QMS, established in regularly held internal quality audits, we will add deadlines to these measures. The newly introduced methods for error analysis, such as the Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA), will be merged into the appropriate method statement. All quality system procedures will be reviewed systematically and periodically to keep them up-to-date.”

“During the Haiti disaster-recovery effort, UN aid agencies, NGOs, the military, private sector and other disaster-response and development stakeholders identified key areas where closer co-ordination would improve future operations,” said David Hartshorn, Secretary General, GVF. “This Summit will explore how more effective co-ordination can be applied.” “From hurricanes to earthquakes, and from civil wars to terrorist attacks, ICT holds great potential to address disaster-response and development requirements,” said Sula Bruce, Project Director for the Aid & International Development Forum (AIDF). “This Summit will provide an important opportunity for all participants to discuss how to unlock that potential.”

The Summit will explore two areas:

State of the Art ICT Solutions
The current ICT default for first responders’ disaster-preparedness capability is similar among most disaster-preparedness stakeholder groups, having been pre-configured with a range of portable sets that include satellite phones, data terminals, and other tools. These approaches enable first responders to quickly deploy at the disaster site and establish communications back to their respective home organizations, with needs assessments and logistical information.

However, there is little in the way of local communications between those based in the disaster zone. Further, for the most part, disaster-response stakeholders often do not have an ICT approach that addresses the more robust on-the-ground collective solution that can also be transitioned into a medium and longer term infrastructure with scale capabilities – or that can eventually be transitioned into a permanent, locally-operated, commercial enterprise. The Summit will explore the extent to which NGOs, UN aid agencies, the private sector, the military, and other stakeholders are applying complementary approaches that can more effectively satisfy these requirements.

Forging Closer Stakeholder Collaboration
To promote adoption of ICT for disaster preparedness and development, closer coordination is needed amongst relevant stakeholder groups. There is a growing recognition that creating a common communications culture – increasing trust and setting a foundation for collaboration and information sharing – can be achieved without undermining either the neutrality of civilian international organizations, inter-governmental organizations, and NGOs or the need for the military to safeguard operational security information. Many stakeholders agree that the creation of a collaborative information environment can be achieved if multiple stakeholder groups are sensitive to one another’s concerns. Resources can be more closely coordinated not only for preparedness and first-responder efforts, but also for mid- and long-term reconstruction. These options increasingly include “leave-behind” infrastructure for local partners, whether they be private, governmental, or non-governmental agencies. Depending on local regulations and capability constraints, leave-behind infrastructure can be used to jump-start host-nation ICT infrastructure recovery and reconstruction and provide commercial opportunities to seed economic revitalization through ICT infrastructure development.

Coordination challenges span differences in culture, language, organization, training and education, doctrine, planning and analysis, and communications and information systems. Unfortunately, old business models and restrictive policies continue to be applied to support what have become highly dynamic, collaborative needs and requirements in complex operations. In spite of multiple “lessons learned” reports from past experiences, many of the same issues continue to confound the response community in each deployment. This open-forum dialogue aims to address that challenge.

All delegates will be welcome to participate in the Summit discussions and to identify means by which preparedness and development can be further advanced through closer coordination amongst key stakeholder groups.

The order comprises a variety of Comtech EF Data products, including the CDM-625 Advanced Satellite Modem, companion redundancy switches and the CSAT-5060 C-Band Transceivers. The award-winning CDM-625 Advanced Satellite Modem combines advanced technologies for maximum bandwidth efficiency under all conditions, including DoubleTalk(R) Carrier-in-Carrier(R) bandwidth compression, patented VersaFEC(R) low latency LDPC forward error correction with Adaptive Coding and Modulation, patent pending ultra low overhead streamline encapsulation, header compression and payload compression. The CSAT-5060 C-Band Transceivers provide flexibility, ease of installation and RF performance typically available only with independent, solid-state power amplifier and frequency converter topologies.

Also included in the order is the CX-U Series cellular backhaul platform from Comtech EF Data’s subsidiary, Memotec, Inc. Memotec’s CX-U Series is a dedicated cellular backhaul platform delivering Radio Access Network optimization and A/E voice trunks compression. The CX-U reduces the bandwidth required to backhaul cellular traffic, therefore avoiding costly forklift network upgrades. The result is a significant reduction in operating and capital expenses.

Fred Kornberg, President and Chief Executive Officer of Comtech Telecommunications Corp., said, “Given the CAPEX and OPEX savings our technologies deliver, mobile operators are able to make compelling business cases to replace legacy networks with Comtech equipment.”

Many requests come from governmental organizations or from banks and large companies that wish to provide telecommunication links from headquarters in a city to multiple offices within a country or outside it. This type of connectivity is possible using Single Channel Per Carrier (SCPC) equipment, even if your requirement is to link up to several locations.

atrexx can provide the perfect solution to these connectivity requirements. We will firstly evaluate your needs fully in order to propose an end-to-end solution using state-of-the-art equipment enabling a shared outbound carrier. We will calculate your link budget, procure the required space segment, program the modems (including routing for your network), and help you to line-up to the satellite with our teleport partners. Thereafter, atrexx will pass over full control of the network to you.

The solution has several primary advantages: There is low latency as remote sites communicate with headquarters in a single hop. It is cost-effective, as only half the bandwidth compared to a hub solution is needed, and the investment is comparable to a classical VSAT. It allows the customer to have overall control of the network yet with the assurance of strong service partner support, should it be required.

Integrates one of the USA’s fastest growing broadband ISPs with the ViaSat-1 satellite venture and positions WildBlue® satellite broadband for accelerated growth and expansion

ViaSat Inc. has signed a definitive agreement to acquire privately-held WildBlue Communications Inc., the premier Ka-band satellite broadband service provider, in a cash and stock transaction valued at $568 million. The combination sets the stage for accelerated growth and expansion of the WildBlue broadband service using ViaSat next generation network technology, featuring the high-capacity ViaSat-1 satellite scheduled to launch in early 2011.

“WildBlue and ViaSat have been close partners for nearly a decade and today?s announcement is the logical next step,” said Mark Dankberg, chairman and CEO of ViaSat. “By integrating ViaSat-1 and its ground network technology into the WildBlue operational and distribution platform, we believe we can meaningfully reduce our operational execution risks. Joining forces with ViaSat provides fast and efficient access to next-generation capacity for the WildBlue business and its subscribers. This synergy, coupled with the improved free cash flow profile WildBlue has attained in the last year, has enabled us to structure what we believe is a highly capital efficient transaction that offers immediate financial benefits to ViaSat. In our view, it’s exceptional to be able to make an acquisition with so many strategic benefits under such favorable financial terms.”

In acquiring WildBlue, ViaSat gains one of the most successful and fastest growing wholesale and retail broadband service providers in the United States. In less than five years, WildBlue has become one of the top twenty broadband U.S. ISPs with over 400,000 customers (as measured by total subscribers according to data compiled by Leitchman Research and ISP Planet). The WildBlue high-speed, two-way Internet service for residential and small business customers, powered exclusively by the ViaSat SurfBeam® networking system, provides fast, reliable connections regardless of the customer?s location. WildBlue pioneered the use of ‘unprocessed’ Ka-band spot beam technology to increase capacity and lower bandwidth costs, portending the value potential for the technology innovations ViaSat-1 will make possible.

“Our new satellite,” Dankberg continues, “will have nearly all of its capacity aimed at those areas where WildBlue growth is constrained by lack of cost-effective bandwidth. The planned launch of ViaSat-1 in early 2011 is expected to multiply WildBlue total network capacity by more than tenfold, and by a factor of over 20 in those areas with the highest demand at a fraction of its current bandwidth costs. The increased bandwidth coupled with next generation ViaSat network technology is expected to enable WildBlue to increase upstream and downstream user speeds by factors of 3 to 5 times in those high-demand areas at current subscription prices, substantially raising the value to consumers.”

David Leonard, CEO of WildBlue, commented, “Over the past several years, we focused on acquiring and retaining customers, scaling our business and generating cash flow. The combination with ViaSat sets the stage both strategically and financially for the next phase of growth at WildBlue. We believe ViaSat, through its success with WildBlue in the Unites States, Barrett XPlornet® in Canada, and Eutelsat ToowaySM in Europe, has achieved the economies of scale needed to make satellite broadband affordable and competitive. With the addition of ViaSat-1 capacity to our network, we believe we can grow our subscriber base to become a top ten broadband ISP in the U.S. and expand further domestically and internationally.”

In addition to accelerating the growth of WildBlue?s consumer satellite broadband business, the transaction also promotes organic growth opportunities for other ViaSat commercial and defense businesses.

“WildBlue?s satellites accelerate our entrance into new Ka-band broadband applications by over a year. We have been making steady progress pursuing defense and mobile broadband markets in the U.S. and globally,” continued Dankberg. “We are very excited about integrating the WildBlue team into all of our global broadband technology and service initiatives.”