[Satellite Today 09-15-08] ViaSat received an order for 5,000 SurfBeam Ka-band broadband terminals from OpenSky for the launch of Eutelsat Tooway consumer broadband service in Italy, ViaSat announced Sept. 15.
    OpenSky said they projecting that the 5,000 terminals equate approximately a three-month supply adding that the Tooway service hopes to enable the company to extend high speed Internet to areas in Italy that are unserved or underserved by asymmetric DSL.
    Paolo Dalla Chiara, president of OpenSky, commented, " … We’re excited about the next leap in high capacity satellite broadband with the new KA-SAT as well. We completed our infrastructure by partnering with a consortium of installers, CTA and CTA trade, that provide the logistic and installation all over Italy, so we can provide excellent customer service from installation to activation."
    Launched in Europe in 2007, Tooway uses Ka-band capacity on Eutelsat’s HotBird 6 satellite and the ViaSat SurfBeam Docsis-based broadband satellite system as the ground segment.