Deputy Minister María Isabel Mejía with children at installed digital kiosks. Photo: Colombia Ministry of Information and Communication Technology

[Via Satellite 06-23-2014] Intelsat and Gilat Satellite Networks signed a multi-year, multi-transponder contract for Gilat Colombia to leverage capacity on Intelsat’s Ku-band satellite at 332.5 degrees east to support the Kioscos Vive Digital 2 (KVD 2) project. KVD 2 provides connectivity to rural and remote communities and schools in six regions in Colombia within a framework established by the Colombian Ministry of Information and Communication Technology.

Gilat’s SkyEdge 2 WebEnhance Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) was chosen to be used in four regions for the project, including those regions serviced by Gilat Colombia. The company will use Intelsat’s network and services for the three-year initiative. Gilat will also integrate its WebEnhance platform with Intelsat’s satellite services to provide Internet connectivity to 1,903 kiosks.

“Satellite continues to provide critical broadband infrastructure to regions where terrestrial technologies are not cost effective or are unreliable or impossible to use given geographies,” said Carmen Gonzalez-Sanfeliu, regional vice president of Latin America for Intelsat. “The KVD 2 project is a great example of how the satellite community works together to provide the necessary connectivity to aid in the educational and economic development of fast growing economies, such as Colombia.”