New iDirect service for Asia Pacific region and Maritime users

February 27, 2008.

Australian Satellite Communications (ASC) announced a new satellite telecommunications service across the South Pacific region. Based on iDirect VSAT technology, the service is hosted by Hawaii Pacific Teleport and covers the whole of the South Pacific from one satellite, GE-23.

To implement the service, an ASC owned iDirect 5IF satellite hub has been commissioned on the high performance GE-23 South West Pacific and South East Pacific Ku band beams. The new services classes operating at 1024/512kbps with 512/256kbps CIR capability complement the existing ASC network operated out of the Adelaide teleport. These existing networks are already populated with large corporate and government customers on the GE-23 South Pacific beam covering Australia, New Zealand and beyond. Following the introduction of the new services ASC have recently received orders from Geoscience Australia for sites on Christmas Island which are covered by the South West Pacific beam.

Chris Joseland, Managing Director of ASC said "We chose Hawaii Pacific Teleport in preference to a US mainland teleport for a number of reasons. HPT are flexible, fast to respond and through joint cooperation will also market our platform to customers they have in the region. Hawaii is also ideally placed for the optimum look angle to the satellite GE-23 situated at 172 degrees East."
The first customer site of the new service was commissioned last week on board a 240 foot super yacht off the coast of Tahiti. The owners of the yacht contracted ASC to upgrade their existing SeaTel stabilized antenna system and deliver a 1024/512kbps business grade broadband Internet access service with dedicated voice channels to the ocean going yacht.

Vince Waterson, VP Business Development at Hawaii Pacific Teleport said "We are pleased that ASC awarded us a three year contract to provide service on GE-23. We have also entered into a co-marketing agreement whereby we will offer their services to US government customers who have a preference for using iDirect services."
Andrew Jordan, VP & General Manager of SAT-GE said "We are pleased to offer ASC our uniquely positioned capacity on a satellite with extraordinarily high performance designed to serve commercial aircraft and maritime vessels crossing the Pacific with broadband Internet and multimedia. Our wide coverage enables us to bring broadband Internet access to even the most remote Pacific islands where users only require an antenna of 4 feet or less."