German satellite service provider Atrexx is finalizing its VSAT ground services contract with the European Union to connect 47 European embassy sites in Africa and the Middle East, the company announced Feb. 2.
   Serving as a subcontractor to the service provider on the contract, Atrexx said it is completing installation works and setting up redundant antennas at each site in Ku- and C-band.
   “The security measures of the embassies and the safety regulations regarding the statics have sometimes been a challenge for our staff in the field, but we have overcome these challenges with professional project management and flexibility,” Atrexx Managing Director Markus Schäfer said in a statement. “We recognize that the ground service element of VSAT communications is not necessarily the most attractive to satellite service providers, but it is often viewed as the dirty work. However, without it there is no VSAT service. … We plan to extend our standardized VSAT ground services further East to the Asian region in the near future.”