FURUNO announces the launch of its new VSAT antenna on SpeedCast and Eutelsat’s Maritime Broadband Network – with special promotional pricing

Nishinomiya City, Japan, Sept 7, 2010 – FURUNO, the world’s leading provider of maritime communication and navigation systems, in partnership with SpeedCast Limited and Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL), today announced the launch of their new VSAT antenna, the VSAT KU-100. FURUNO will launch the antenna on SpeedCast and Eutelsat’s global satellite network, allowing FURUNO to further expand their business in the rapidly growing maritime satellite communications market. In addition, FURUNO, SpeedCast, and Eutelsat have also announced special promotional pricing to commemorate the launch.

The launch represents the culmination of three years of close cooperation and development work between the three companies. The partnership allows FURUNO to serve as a one-stop-shop for maritime satellite communications. FURUNO’s solution is based on their new 1 meter antenna, the Ku-Band VSAT KU-100, which is FURUNO’s most advanced antenna system and brings land-based broadband communications environment to onboard vessels.

FURUNO partnered with SpeedCast and Eutelsat based on the strength of their global maritime service, which is one of the most widely deployed VSAT offerings in the world. SpeedCast and Eutelsat have linked 15 Ku-band satellite beams into an integrated, global coverage network to support FURUNO’s SafeComNet service. This network leverages advanced technologies such as Automatic Beam Switching (ABS) to deliver seamless connectivity across multiple satellite footprints.
To commemorate the launch, FURUNO, SpeedCast and Eutelsat have announced special promotional pricing for their global Ku-band service plans for the new VSAT KU-100 system. These service plans come in a wide range of configurations to meet every customer’s requirements and also include 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year options. The special promotional pricing will run until the end of 2010.

“We are very excited about this new service delivered in partnership with SpeedCast and Eutelsat. This partnership represents an important step forward in expanding our maritime portfolio to include VSAT and a global satellite network based on Ku-band service. With over 60 years of global experience in the professional maritime electronics market, FURUNO has expansive industry knowledge, which we will continue to develop and offer the most sophisticated and reliable products and services solutions in the maritime industry.”
~ Muneyuki KOIKE, Managing Director and Divisional Vice General Manager, FURUNO ELECTRIC CO., Ltd.

“As broadband connectivity becomes a core part of maritime operations across every segment of the industry, we continue to expand the coverage and capabilities of our maritime VSAT network to serve our customers better. FURUNO’s extensive experience in maritime communications and its worldwide support presence is highly complementary with SpeedCast’ and Eutelsat’s network services capabilities, and allows us to deliver the best-in-class broadband communications service to maritime customers.”
~ Nick DUKAKIS, Vice President for Maritime & Offshore Services, SpeedCast

“Eutelsat is committed to developing efficient, cost-effective and flexible solutions for the maritime market, in collaboration with partners who are experts in their field, including SpeedCast and FURUNO. FURUNO is a leader in the maritime electronics market and we are pleased to be partnered with them to deliver unparallel maritime services.”
~ Laurent PAUL Director, Maritime Services, Eutelsat

FURUNO announces the launch of its new VSAT antenna on SpeedCast and Eutelsat’s Maritime Broadband Network – with special promotional pricing