Goodyear Selects Spacenet to Provide VSAT Satellite Communications Network to 1,000 Tire Outlets in the U.S. and Canada

Goodyear will use high-performance Skystar Advantage® platform for IP-based multicasting, video and POS applications

McLean, VA, December 5, 2000 - Spacenet Inc. today announced it has been selected by The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company to provide a high-speed satellite communications network to a minimum of 1,000 Goodyear tire outlets in the United States and Canada. Goodyear expects the network to eventually include over 2,000 tire outlets, as well as other company sites.

Stephen Murphy, Goodyear's Manager, Corporate Telecommunications, said, "The embedded suite of Internet Protocol (IP) and bandwidth-management features of Gilat's Skystar Advantage Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) network make it an attractive networking platform. After exhaustive review of our options, we determined VSAT technology offered us the solution for providing single-source, ubiquitous, high-bandwidth, online connectivity. Our testing showed that the Skystar Advantage network offered the performance, security, and support required for our IP and web-based applications."

David R. Shiff, Spacenet's Vice President of Sales and Marketing, said, "The Goodyear team conducted a very thorough investigation and analysis of the various alternatives, and Spacenet is extremely pleased and proud to have been selected by Goodyear to provide this network. We have invested tremendous energy toward establishing a leadership position in support of emerging IP and web-based applications and we believe Goodyear's selection of Spacenet is directly attributable to our efforts in this area."

Under the terms of the agreement, Spacenet will provide Goodyear with a comprehensive VSAT network solution that includes turnkey installation of all remote site equipment, as well as network operations and field maintenance. Network implementation will begin within the next six months and is expected to be completed in late 2001.

About Goodyear
Goodyear (NYSE: GT), based in Akron, Ohio, manufactures tires, engineered rubber products and chemicals in more than 90 facilities in 27 countries. It has marketing operations in almost every country around the world. Goodyear, with the addition of its Dunlop tire joint ventures, employs more than 105,000 persons worldwide.

About Spacenet
With headquarters in McLean, Virginia, Spacenet Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. of Petah Tikva, Israel. Spacenet provides a wide range of satellite communications networks and services throughout North America, including access to satellite transponder capacity, installation of network equipment, network monitoring and control, as well as maintenance and repair. Visit Spacenet at www.spacenet.com.

Spacenet Media Contact:
David Myers
Senior Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Development
(703) 848-1200
david.myers@spacenet.com