Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. (NASDAQ, TASE: GILT) has announced that Hispasat has awarded Gilat a multi-million dollar order to expand the existing SkyEdge II-c platform that Hispasat operates in Mexico and procure Capricorn VSATs for cellular backhaul (CBH) over satellite.
Hispasat will use Gilat technology to extend the service of Altan La Red Compartida, the shared telecommunications network in Mexico, to more than three million people in Mexico. Mexico’s underserved rural population will benefit from 4.5G LTE coverage enjoying high-quality mobile broadband voice and data services.
Due to difficult terrain, laying out land-based infrastructure is unfeasible or would require exorbitant costs. Therefore, satellite backhauling is the preferred method to provide fast coverage to the unserved and underserved population in Mexico, in regions where telecommunications can be crucial to open new opportunities for economic and social development.
Gilat’s SkyEdge II-c platform with its flagship VSAT, Capricorn, over Hispasat’s Ka-band Amazonas 5 satellite, provides a most reliable quick solution to meet Altan’s demanding requirements. Gilat’s CBH platform provides a user experience similar to terrestrial technologies enabling MNOs to expand high-quality coverage to underserved areas of Mexico.
“Gilat is a long-time partner of Hispasat, and we are most pleased to use their state of the art technology to fulfill the requirements of Altan La Red Compartida in this strategic project which aims to expand service to the most remote areas of Mexico,” said Ruben Levcovitz, Business Director for North and Central America at Hispasat. “Gilat’s CBH leadership delivering high spectral efficiency, enables Hispasat to reduce OPEX and remain competitive in Latin America and Mexico, in particular.”
“We are honored to be chosen by Hispasat to provide our LTE CBH over satellite technology to the Altan La Red Compartida extension project, for high-quality service to hundreds of sites in rural areas in Mexico,” said Tobias Dezordi, Regional Vice President Latin America at Gilat. “Hispasat and Gilat have a joint goal of assisting in bridging the digital divide to better the lives of people in Mexico as well as in other regions in Latin America.”