Tata Tele selects Gilat to provide telephony network

NEW DELHI: Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. has announced that it will provide

Tata Teleservices (TTL) with a 1,000-site fixed rural satellite telephony

network to serve communities throughout the southern Indian state of Andhra

Pradesh.

When completed, the network will be one of the largest known deployments of

satellite rural telephony in India - with a private, basic service operator.

The new network, based on Gilat's DialAw@y IP VSAT product, will serve public

payphone and fax kiosks, supporting the needs of agricultural workers and other

inhabitants of Andhra Pradesh. The network will enable TTL to fulfill its

Universal Service Obligations under its license agreement with India's

Department of Telecommunications for the state of Andhra Pradesh. In the future,

TTL expects to use the network to provide high-speed Internet connectivity to

many of those sites.

TTL's chief operating officer for Andhra Pradesh circle, Ajay Pandey said,

"VSAT networks have been proven at tens of thousands of sites worldwide to

be a superior platform for bringing affordable, dependable telecommunications

services to rural populations. Gilat's technology is meeting our stated

requirements and will enable us to serve many thousands of citizens in this

region."

Gilat's vice president and general manager for Asia, Africa and Pacific Rim,

Erez Antebi said, "It is gratifying to be able to use our expertise in

rural telephony solutions to help TTL meet its obligations to the Indian

government and to bring high-quality communications services to the people of

Andhra Pradesh."

Deployment of the DialAw@y IP network has begun and is expected to reach

completion in the third quarter of 2002. TTL Plans to upgrade the satellite hub

station to enable data capabilities and to offer broadband Internet access to

selected towns in the state.