Viasat, ReadyNet Demonstrate High-Speed Satellite Internet across Jamaica, Bringing Connectivity to Communities and Businesses

News provided by

Aug 23, 2019, 08:00 ET

CARLSBAD, Calif., Aug. 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- In a public demonstration, attended by Jamaican regulators and government agencies including the Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology, Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a global communications company, and ReadyNet, a trusted operator in Jamaica, successfully showed how Viasat's high-speed satellite internet service could help connect communities and businesses across Jamaica.

The demonstration took place in Portland, Jamaica, a community located on the northeast coast of the island, and showcased the power of the ViaSat-2 satellite to deliver high-quality connectivity and broadband satellite speeds that are faster, and more resistant to hurricane and other outages, than current island terrestrial-based services. The demonstration also showed how businesses and government organizations could reliably connect to critical business applications such as cloud-based collaboration, Voice-over-IP (VoIP), email, point-of-sale transactions, high-speed file transfers, streaming video and more.

"The collaboration between Viasat and ReadyNet creates an opportunity for many Jamaican business owners and government officials to use satellite broadband in new ways," said Chris Dehring, CEO of ReadyNet. "Through Viasat's high-speed satellite internet service we could offer an economical solution that can be quickly installed and online anywhere across the island. Because of its capabilities, we are exploring ways to deliver Viasat's satellite internet service to connect multiple Caribbean territories."

Jamaica government agencies, including the Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology, have been evaluating various country-wide internet alternatives, including expensive terrestrial-based internet services like cable and fiber. The demonstration proved satellite internet was a strong alternative: fast to deploy; high-quality and most economical in areas that are unserved and underserved as Viasat's satellite solution did not require extensive ground infrastructure investment. Currently, Viasat and ReadyNet have deployed four sites across Jamaica including government and education facilities in Portland, Westmoreland, Rockfort and Kenilworth.

"Working with Jamaica's government leadership and in-country operator expertise enables us to bring our proven internet service capabilities to the island," said Cody Catalena, vice president and general manager, Global Business Solutions at Viasat. "Viasat's advanced satellite technology enables rural and urban communities to access the internet, bringing social and digital inclusion to parts of the country that previously were unconnected or had limited connectivity."

Plans & Availability
Satellite broadband plans for Jamaican-based enterprises, businesses and government initiatives—using the ViaSat-2 satellite system—are now available through ReadyNet.

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, statements that refer to the relationship between Viasat and ReadyNet including with respect to installations and customer support; the ViaSat-2 satellite service offerings and their associated benefits in Jamaica; and the speed and coverage and capacity of the ViaSat-2 satellite service in Jamaica. 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, and increased competition and other factors affecting the aviation sector 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 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.

SOURCE Viasat, Inc.