Avanti Taps Distributor for Internet Continuity Service

Avanti signed contract for U.K.-based Computerlinks to become the first distributor of Avanti’s Business Internet Continuity (BIC) service. Under the three-year contract, valued at 4.5 million British pounds ($7 million), Computerlinks will enable its more than 5,000 channel partners to provide the BIC service as a disaster recovery communications solution.

Avanti plans to place its Hylas-1 satellite in orbit before the end of the year, and the Hylas-2 and Hylas-3 satellites are scheduled to be launched within two to three years.

Inmarsat Orders Ka-Band Satellites from Boeing

Inmarsat will invest more than $1 billion in three Ka-band satellites to power its Global Xpress service. Global Xpress will target what the operator views as a $1.4 billion incremental market opportunity in VSAT services for maritime, energy and government sectors, with further growth potential in developing markets such as the aeronautical sector.

The satellite will be manufactured by Boeing and based on the 702 high-power platform. Inmarsat estimates the investment in its Inmarsat-5 constellation and Global Xpress will be $1.2 billion over four-and-a-half years, incorporating the fixed cost of the satellites as well as the cost of additional ground network infrastructure, product development, launch services and insurance. Operations are expected to start in 2014.

Boeing will act as a distribution partner for Inmarsat’s Ka-band and L-band services and has pre-committed to capacity purchases representing more than 10 percent of Inmarsat’s target Ka-band revenues in the first five years after service launch.

Marlink Signs sealink services Agreement with Fastnet

Marlink secured a three-year contract with Irish ferry operator Fastnet Line for Marlink’s Sealink service.

As part of the agreement, Marlink will deliver, install and operate its VSAT solution onboard Fastnet Line’s flagship vessel Julia, providing the ferry operator with bandwidth up to 128 kilobits per second as well as 10 simultaneous telephone channels and administration LAN connected to an Internet VPN service for vessel management, passenger and crew applications. Marlink routes its services to Fastnet Line through Marlink’s teleport in Eik, Norway.

Northrop Grumman Wins Blue Force Tracking Development Deal

Northrop Grumman has been selected by the U.S. Army to provide encryption devices that will upgrade communications security of the Force 21 Battle Command Brigade and Below FBCB2-Blue Force Tracking network.

Under a five-year indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract with a ceiling of $300 million, Northrop Grumman will supply programmable in-line encryption devices for installation in FBCB2-BFT platforms and network operations centers worldwide.

The award builds off of an $18 million order the Army placed with Northrop Grumman in April. Harris Corp. is acting as Northrop Grumman’s technology partner in the development and manufacture of the encryption unit, which is based on Harris’ KGV-72 solution and will be manufactured at Harris facilities.