AVN.L Regulatory News (AVN)

8 Sep 2008 07:00



Date: September 8th 2008

On behalf of: Avanti Communications Group plc ("Avanti" or "the Company")

Embargoed until: 0700hrs

Avanti Communications Group plc

Contract Win 

Avanti Communications Group plc (AIM: AVN), the satellite operator, announces that it has signed a distribution agreement with TTComm of Poland. TTcomm is the largest operator of VSAT satellite communication services in Central Eastern Europe. It provides services to large and medium sized corporate customers, governmental institutions, education and media. It counts Hewlett Packard and Conoco as customers.  

This partnership will focus on pursuing rural broadband projects funded by the European Commission as well as other corporate business. The European Commission announced in March 2008 that €1.8bn of Structural Funds budget is available to fund rural broadband.  Of this some €984m is made available to Poland, the largest market.  Avanti recently concluded the market for satellite broadband in Europe will be worth up to £4bn per annum by 2016 and will be the first company in Europe to launch a broadband satellite. Avanti now has distributors for HYLAS in Scotland, England, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Czech Republic, Albania, Serbia, Germany and Poland.

David Williams, Chief Executive of Avanti, said;

"Avanti's success in securing the best distribution partners for rural broadband in Europe is accelerating rapidly. It is satisfying to have secured such a high profile customer in Poland, Europe's largest market for EU funded rural broadband projects, and serves to demonstrate that we have the best quality product. We can supply satellite broadband to our distribution partners at prices from £8 per month and speeds at up to 8Mbps, and are therefore able to bring broadband to many of the 24 million European consumers who cannot receive terrestrial broadband at the most competitive prices and service levels."

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Notes to Editors:

About Avanti Communications

Avanti Communications Group is the only licensed Fixed Satellite Services operator headquartered in the UK (and one of only eight such groups operating in Europe);

Avanti provides satellite broadband services using spectrum which provides coverage of Europe, India, The Middle East, Central Asia, Africa and the Americas.

Avanti's first satellite, called HYLAS is under construction and due for launch in 2009; the company plans further satellite projects;

HYLAS will be the first broadband satellite to launch in Europe, a market which is expected to be worth £4bn per annum by 2016

Avanti, which has over 10 years' experience in the satellite industry, currently provides satellite data communications services to customers in Europe using leased satellite capacity which it will transfer to HYLAS on launch;