Tiscali Selects Eutelsat's Tooway(TM) Satellite Broadband Service to Extend Broadband in Italy

Author
SySAdmin
Posted
July 22, 2010
Views
1673

Page All:

Page 1
Tiscali Selects Eutelsat's Tooway(TM) Satellite Broadband Service to Extend Broadband in Italy

PARIS, July 22, 2010--     Tiscali, one of Italy's main independent telecommunications companies,
and Eutelsat Communications (Paris Euronext: ETL) today announced the
signature of an agreement that will allow Tiscali to expand its range of
broadband products with the launch of a satellite service targeting homes
across Italy beyond range of high-speed terrestrial networks. Branded Tiscali
BroadbandSat, the service uses the Tooway(TM) consumer broadband technology
provided by Eutelsat Communications and its Skylogic affiliate. Tiscali's
choice of Tooway(TM) will enable it to leverage the seamless coverage
provided by satellites to reach into the 12% of the Italian population
unserved by ADSL or fibre.

    Tooway(TM) is the first satellite based two-way broadband solution in
Europe offering speeds and costs comparable to ADSL. The service is based on
Eutelsat's satellite coverage, the commercial and infrastructure operating
experience of its Skylogic subsidiary, and technology developed by ViaSat
which already powers Internet access for over 500,000 homes in North America.
In Europe, Tooway(TM) is already serving customers in more than 20 countries
including the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland and Ireland,
with additional countries preparing to roll out service.

    The Tooway(TM) solution consists of a small satellite dish and a modem
connected to the PC via the Ethernet, giving customers immediate broadband
access following simple installation. With no need for a telephone
connection, the service provides two-way wireless Internet access with speeds
of 3.6 Mbps to the PC and 512 kbps from the PC. Tooway(TM) is currently
provided using Ka-band capacity on Eutelsat's HOT BIRD(TM) 6 satellite. With
speeds starting from 10 Mbps, performance will be further enhanced in spring
2011 with the commercial availability of Eutelsat's KA-SAT satellite which is
being prepared for launch in November this year.

    "We are delighted to enlarge our broadband service portfolio with the
Tooway(TM) consumer broadband technology provided by Eutelsat", says Luca
Scano, General Manager at Tiscali. "Their expertise and satellite technology
will support our mission to make broadband available in the most extended
manner and with the best ratio in terms of price and quality."

    Arduino Patacchini, CEO of Skylogic and Multimedia Director of Eutelsat,
added: "The selection of Tooway(TM) by one of the most innovative telecom
companies to emerge in Europe since the Internet revolution took off is a key
milestone for us. It underscores the validity of our technology and
highlights just how far satellites are anchored as a core technology for
achieving universal broadband access. We are delighted that Tiscali is
integrating Tooway(TM) into its portfolio of broadband services."

    About Tiscali

    Tiscali S.p.A. (Borsa Italiana, Milan: TIS) is one of the largest
telecommunications companies in Italy. Tiscali supplies a wide range of
services to its customers, both private individuals and companies: internet
access through dial-up and ADSL, as well as voice, VoIP, media, and
added-value services and other technologically advanced products. As of 31st
March 2010 Tiscali had more than 722 thousand active users in Italy, of which
572 thousand are ADSL users. Of these, 332 thousand are Dual Play customers.

    The Tiscali website may be accessed at http://www.tiscali.it

    About Eutelsat Communications

    Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is
the holding company of Eutelsat S.A.. With capacity commercialised on 26
satellites that provide coverage over the entire European continent, as well
as the Middle East, Africa, India and significant parts of Asia and the
Americas, Eutelsat is one of the world's three leading satellite operators in
terms of revenues. At 31 March 2010, Eutelsat's satellites were broadcasting
more than 3,500 television channels. More than 1,100 channels broadcast via
its HOT BIRD(TM) video neighbourhood at 13 degrees East which serves over 120
million cable and satellite homes in Europe, the Middle East and North
Africa. The Group's satellites also serve a wide range of fixed and mobile
telecommunications services, TV contribution markets, corporate networks, and
broadband markets for Internet Service Providers and for transport, maritime
and in-flight markets. Eutelsat's broadband subsidiary, Skylogic, markets and
operates access to high speed internet services through teleports in France
and Italy that serve enterprises, local communities, government agencies and
aid organisations in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. Headquartered in
Paris, Eutelsat and its subsidiaries employ nearly 650 commercial, technical
and operational employees from 28 countries.

    http://www.eutelsat.com

    For more information on Tooway(TM): http://www.tooway.com

Source: Eutelsat Communications & Tiscali

For further information: Press Vanessa O'Connor, Tel: +33-1-53-98-37-91, voconnor@eutelsat.fr; Frederique Gautier, Tel: +33-1-53-98-37-91, fgautier@eutelsat.fr; Investors & Analysts, Lisa Sanders Finas, Tel: +33-1-53-98-30-92, investors@eutelsat-communications.com

Title

Medium Image View Large