Spacenet's Connexstar(SM) Service Introduced: The Nation's First Satellite Broadband Data Service for Small and Mid-Size Retail Chains

Small and medium enterprises to benefit from satellite-delivered high-speed Internet access, credit authorization, in-store audio/video and Web conferencing services

McLean, VA, Dec. 11, 2001 - Until today, retail chains with fewer than 250 locations were unable to cost-effectively deploy networks based on high-performance two-way satellite technology. In response to this challenge, Spacenet today introduced Connexstar, a new satellite-delivered broadband service designed expressly for small and medium-sized chains requiring high-speed, online data connectivity.

In contrast to other terrestrial and satellite-based business networking services, Connexstar is available now for immediate deployment and provides true broadband connectivity for business locations anywhere in the United States. In addition to providing unlimited high-speed Web access, the service also supports a wide variety of business applications such as credit authorization, nightly polling, music and video content delivery and email. Monthly costs for the service start at $119 per site per month, with a one-time $999 equipment set-up and installation fee.

Unlike consumer-oriented offerings which have been marketed to the business environment, Connexstar has been developed expressly to serve the business market — incorporating advanced bandwidth-management and quality-of-service features that ensure consistent and reliable performance at all times. Connexstar is a true "commercial-grade" service, providing the bandwidth and performance levels demanded by businesses that depend on connectivity for mission-critical applications. Further, Connexstar features expanded applications support, enabling businesses to consolidate all of their Internet Protocol (IP)-based business applications over a single infrastructure.
Utilizing the same advanced, two-way satellite networking technology that large enterprises such as Goodyear, Dollar General, Holiday Inn and the U.S. Postal Service have been using for years, Connexstar offers robust, always-on performance with maintenance and performance guarantees that other broadband service offerings — both satellite and terrestrial — have difficulty matching. As a true nationwide service provider, Spacenet offers smaller chains a single-source solution for all aspects of their networking requirements.

David Shiff, Spacenet's Vice President of Sales and Marketing, said, "With Connexstar, we are offering chain businesses of almost any size the same cost-effective, high-performance IP networking technology that previously could only be enjoyed by the largest enterprises. This service is ideal for small- and medium-sized chain businesses that require broadband connectivity to access ASP applications, Internet content, email or any of a myriad other applications where persistent, high-speed connectivity is required."

Shiff added, "Equally important is that once the service is in place, organizations can easily add other applications such as high-speed credit authorization, in-store audio and satellite TV, as well as Web conferencing and distance learning. This provides customers a convenient and cost-effective migration path for serving their evolving business communications requirements."
Connexstar's high-speed Internet service includes business-grade installation, integrated routing functionality, maintenance and second-level help desk support. A variety of on-site field service options, as well as secure Internet (IPSEC) backhaul options, are also available to meet particular business requirements.

For enterprises with more than 250 sites, Spacenet continues to offer its fully customized satellite network solutions that incorporate the most advanced, high-performance support for IP and Web-based applications in the industry. Spacenet's parent company, Gilat Satellite Networks, is a leading developer of satellite-based networking solutions specifically designed to optimize Internet traffic over satellite. It is this Internet technology leadership that contributed to Gilat's ability to ship a majority of all two-way VSAT systems worldwide during the year 2000 (according to market research firm Comsys, www.comsys.co.uk).

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 two-way, satellite-based, broadband networking solutions for a wide range of organizations throughout North America. These solutions include provision of all equipment, bandwidth, implementation and ongoing network and field support on a full turnkey, outsource basis. Visit Spacenet at www.spacenet.com. For more information on the Connexstar offering, visit www.connexstar.com.

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