[Satellite TODAY 04-14-10] Gilat Satellite Systems has been contracted by Ethiopian Telecommunication Corp. (ETC), Ethiopia’s national telecom operator, to provide a broadband satellite communications network, Gilat announced April 13.
    The new network will cover hundreds of sites, while providing an upgrade to ETC’s existing Gilat VSAT network. The upgrade aims to enable ETC to deliver advanced broadband services, including video and data-centric applications, to meet the growing demands of its enterprise and government customers.
     ETC will also deploy Gilat’s VSATs at remote community centers nationwide to provide citizens with toll-quality telephony and reliable broadband Internet access.
    “We have also enjoyed outstanding service and support from Gilat for the past 12 years. We look forward to continuing to work together with Gilat to fulfill our commitment to provide advanced services that meet the critical communications requirements of our customers throughout the country,” ETC CEO Ato Amare Amsalu said in a statement.