COMSAT, satellite connectivity provider to the US DoD, has announced a seven-year master distribution agreement (MDA) with London-listed Avanti Communications plc (AVN.L)
As part of the agreement, COMSAT is seen to benefit from the Avanti advanced satellite fleet and particularly from the Hylas 4 satellite, a high-throughput satellite (HTS), focused on the Middle East and Africa market. In turn, Avanti is expected to gain immediate access to the US global governmental and military activity that may otherwise take multiple years to gain approval to serve.
Hylas-4, with four uniquely steerable HTS beams and a further 64 Fixed beams, will enter service in September 2018.
Under the terms of the agreement, COMSAT will provide advanced, complete service packages to its customers, with focus on Africa and the Middle East and on particular high-value deployments currently planned or underway.
Kyle Whitehill, CEO of Avanti, commented, “Our partnership with COMSAT is disruptive in the most positive way. It takes us into new markets, with our highly capable satellite fleet paired to a global leader in Satcom innovation.”
Avanti Communications is set to double the company’s satellite capacity across Africa. In March 2018, MDXI data centre, a subsidiary of MainOne, partnered with Avanti to host and manage the satellite operator’s in-country gateway earth station (GES) in West Africa.
