Gilat expands VSAT deployment in Mexico's public schools

Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. (Nasdaq: GILT; TASE: GILT) today announced it has been selected by an additional integrator, Integradores de Tecnologia to provide a 4,382-site SkyEdge VSAT network serving more than 9,600 Mexican public-school classrooms, to support the "middle-school" phase of the Mexican Ministry of Education's (SEP) Enciclomedia program. The deployment of the network hub and terminals has already begun.

This deal is in addition to the announcement by Gilat earlier this month that it had been selected by a consortium of Mexican technology firms to provide a network of 4,400 SkyEdge VSATs. When combined with today's announcement and with previous announcements from earlier this year, this brings the total number of Mexican classrooms to be connected via SkyEdge to approximately 50,000 - comprised of 33,500 primary-school classrooms and 17,400 middle-school classrooms.

Gilat will provide Integradores with the SkyEdge VSATs for monitoring, broadband Internet access and VoIP services to support the latest phase of Enciclomedia program, which focuses on middle schools and provides continuity to the program's previous phases. The Internet access will be used for email, discussion forums and web browsing.

This latest deal is estimated to be worth around $4.3 million.

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on December 11, 2006