Posted: 26th Oct, 2009 By: MarkJ

Broadband satellite operator
Avanti Communications has announced a new strategic partnership with
Hughes Network Systems, a leading supplier of satellite network services and equipment. Hughes will now be able to take advantage of the capacity on Avanti's HYLAS satellite.
Hughes will purchase capacity and managed services using Avanti’s Virtual Network Operator service on HYLAS over a ten year period to an initial value of £7.5m in order to continue to grow its own established European networks business with clients in sectors such as oil and gas and lotteries.
David Williams, Chief Executive of Avanti, said:
"I am pleased to announce a deal of significant strategic importance to both companies. Hughes is overwhelmingly the global leader in satellite networks for enterprise customers and I am certain that they will be a powerful force in helping us to fill HYLAS quickly in Europe.
Our capacity gives them a similar competitive advantage to that enjoyed with their own satellite in the USA. Furthermore we have secured a supply for our VNOs of the world’s best customer premises equipment at a market beating price.
This is fundamental in turning HYLAS into a mass market consumer broadband proposition and will have significant impact on our ability to sign more VNO customers leading up to the launch of HYLAS."
Hughes has also committed to sell HYLAS services, and give Avanti access to Hughes’ distribution channels in Europe – which currently account for more than 35,000 customer installations. Hughes has a global market share in the provision of satellite networks to enterprise customers of over 50%.
In response Avanti has purchased equipment from Hughes for use at the HYLAS network control centre, in line with capital budgets. Avanti has also secured a five year framework supply agreement enabling its 52 VNO customers around Europe to purchase Hughes’ customer premises equipment (dishes and modems) at a market beating price.
This equipment enables end-users to operate broadband Internet services at speeds of up to 10Mbps, and the pricing enables Avanti’s VNOs to provide service with a lower customer installation charge.