Global satellite networking leader Gilat Satellite Networks has announced that the Colombian Ministry of Information Technologies and Telecommunications (MINTIC) has extended its contract with Gilat, under which the company will continue providing broadband Internet connectivity to more than 1,500 schools throughout Colombia’s outlying areas. The extension is valued at around $6.75 million.
The contract extends the award Gilat originally received in December of 2011. Hosted by the Direccion de Conectividad (formerly “Compartel”) and the Ministry’s “Fondo de Tecnologías de la Información y las Communicaciones,” the project is scheduled to conclude by early December 2013, at the end of the current extension.
“We were happy to receive the contract extension to continue providing Internet services to Colombian schools as part of the Ministry’s significant efforts to improve education and employment in rural areas,” said Gilat Peru and Colombia CEO Danny Fridman. “Gilat is proud to be part of improving the quality of education around the world by enabling broadband-enabled classrooms, providing students and teachers with fast, reliable satellite connectivity.”
The network provides data rates of up to 2 Mpbs to more than 1,500 schools in five separate districts across rural Colombia, utilizing the innovative Sky-Edge II WebEnhance VSAT. The program is part of ongoing efforts by the Colombian government to “bridge the digital divide” and reduce the communications gap in Colombia by increasing its investment to improve advanced communications services access within its schools.
For more information, visit www.gilat.com
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