Viasat's Real-Time Earth Ground Station Now Open in Australia

Rhea-AI Summary

Viasat (NASDAQ: VSAT) has officially launched its Real-Time Earth (RTE) facility in Alice Springs, Australia, providing Ground-Station-as-a-Service (GSaaS) for earth observation and remote sensing. In partnership with the Centre for Appropriate Technology Ltd and Indigenous Business Australia, the facility aims to enhance data delivery for various industries, supporting both legacy and next-generation satellites. The project involved a $1 million investment in local businesses and has facilitated skill development for Aboriginal workers. This facility will complement existing Viasat RTE sites globally.

Positive

• Launch of Real-Time Earth facility enhances service offerings.
• Investment of $1 million in local businesses boosts regional economy.
• Skills development for local Aboriginal workforce contributing to community growth.

Negative

• None.

MELBOURNE, Australia, June 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a global communications company, proudly announced today the official launch of its Real-Time Earth (RTE) facility in Alice Springs, Australia.

Viasat partnered with the Centre for Appropriate Technology Ltd (CfAT), an Aboriginal not-for-profit science and technology company based in Alice Springs, which built and owns the new facility through its wholly-owned commercial subsidiary CfAT Satellite Enterprises Pty Ltd, and Indigenous Business Australia (IBA), an Australian Commonwealth commercially-focused government authority, which helped finance the project and provides related commercial advice and support.

Viasat's RTE network provides Ground-Station-as-a-Service (GSaaS) to the earth observation and remote sensing community. The service offers affordability and reduced latency through automation and geographic diversity on a pay-per-use basis. Viasat's RTE service will be able to support next-generation and legacy low earth orbit satellites using the S-, X-, and Ka-bands, which will enable operators to meet today's and tomorrow's data requirements.

"We are delighted to announce the Viasat RTE facility in Alice Springs is now open for business," said John Williams, vice president of Real-Time Earth at Viasat. "CfAT, IBA and the Alice Springs community-at-large were instrumental in executing this impressive RTE ground station. This new facility will enable the advancement of how critical data for environmental, shipping, oil and gas, government among other industries is delivered on-demand around the world."

Peter Renehan, CEO of CfAT Ltd, said, "It is a huge achievement for CfAT to have built this amazing Viasat RTE facility. Working with great support from our partners Viasat and IBA, we have demonstrated that CfAT can continue to contribute positively to technology and critical space advancements, which will benefit Indigenous people and communities in outback Australia, as well as the broader Australian economy. The project has already delivered important skills transfer to Aboriginal people. We were very proud of the local Aboriginal workers who developed new skills and successfully assembled the two 7.3m antennas. The local economy has also benefited, with $1 million spent during the construction phase on local businesses, including two wholly-owned Aboriginal companies. CfAT is also contracted by Viasat to provide on-site facilities management and on-going site maintenance. The future looks bright, and we are looking forward to building on our business relationships with Viasat and IBA to bring this new technology to Australia."

Rajiv Viswanathan, CEO of IBA, said, "Built and owned by our Indigenous partner CfAT, this RTE facility is a nationally significant infrastructure development which will help to completely transform the geospatial analytics and earth observation industries in Australia. We are incredibly proud of CfAT's achievement. The successful construction of this facility shows the whole world that Aboriginal people can be at the forefront of new technology industries in Australia. CfAT is a successful Aboriginal corporation that has for many years been at the vanguard of technology innovation and application in remote Australia. Despite the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, CfAT and its subsidiary Ekistica successfully developed this facility with Viasat. CfAT now have an exceptional opportunity to grow its business in Australia as it looks to generate commercial returns for CfAT as well as flow-on benefits for end-users of geospatial data such as local Indigenous land and sea managers. We are proud to support CfAT in realizing their ambitions for growth in the space sector."

Alice Springs, Australia Location
Viasat's RTE satellite ground station facility is located at CfAT's Heath Road site in Alice Springs, Australia. It consists of two Viasat full-motion antenna systems and associated infrastructure. The new ground station forms part of the Viasat RTE network and complements other Viasat RTE sites in North America, South America and Europe.

About CfAT Ltd
CfAT is an Aboriginal company, with 50% Aboriginal workforce, established in the 1980's, that operates across regional and remote Australia delivering infrastructure and technology solutions mostly to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, providing service and infrastructure platforms that allow people to maintain their relationship with country.  The company's approach is driven by the view that the successful delivery of services and the technologies and infrastructure used to achieve them will be different to the way things are done in urban Australia.  This has shaped our success and led to the development of highly innovative new technologies. www.cfat.org.au

About IBA
IBA is a commercially focused Australian Government organisation. Economic independence for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is at the heart of what we do. Our programs assist Indigenous Australians to buy their own homes, be successful in business, and invest in commercial ventures that provide strong financial returns. www.iba.gov.au/

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 Statement
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 about the features and benefits of the RTE facility, and the facility's positive contribution to the local economy through contract opportunities, ongoing employment opportunities for Indigenous Australia, and growth of business; the new RTE facility's ability to complement existing Viasat RTE sites; Viasat's ability to enable earth observation and remote sensing data; and the ability to service and maintain the system. Readers are cautioned that actual results could differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include: contractual problems, product defects, regulatory issues, technologies  that do not perform according to expectations and other factors affecting the communications market 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 © 2020 Viasat, Inc. All rights reserved. Viasat, the Viasat logo and the Viasat signal are registered trademarks of Viasat, Inc. All other product or company names mentioned are used for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

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SOURCE Viasat, Inc.

FAQ

What is Viasat's new Real-Time Earth facility in Alice Springs?

Viasat's Real-Time Earth facility in Alice Springs offers Ground-Station-as-a-Service (GSaaS) for earth observation and remote sensing.

How does the RTE facility benefit the local economy?

The project invested $1 million in local businesses, providing economic benefits and creating job opportunities.

What industries will Viasat's RTE facility support?

The facility supports various industries including environmental, shipping, oil and gas, and government sectors.

Who partnered with Viasat for the RTE facility in Australia?

Viasat partnered with the Centre for Appropriate Technology Ltd and Indigenous Business Australia to establish the facility.

What technologies does Viasat's RTE facility utilize?

The facility supports both legacy and next-generation satellites using S-, X-, and Ka-band technologies.