COMSAT and Avanti sign MDA
Provider of satellite connectivity to the US DoD, COMSAT, has announced a seven-year Master Distribution Agreement (MDA) with London headquartered Avanti Communications plc.
COMSAT will 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. In turn, Avanti will gain immediate access to 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.
The agreement will allow COMSAT to offer 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.
Comments David Greenhill, President of COMSAT: “With Avanti, we have found a well‐balanced partner to better‐serve our customers. Our decades of experience and technical capability will blend with their state‐of‐art, WGS‐compatible, Hylas‐4 satellite, built by US manufacturer, Orbital ATK. We look forward to delivering great performance and value for our customers”.
Kyle Whitehill, CEO of Avanti observed: “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. We are delighted to create shareholder value through new opportunity. Avanti advances on.”