EchoStar Communications Corp. posted a $318 million profit in the 2005 first quarter, rebounding from a loss of $43 million in the same period last year, the company reported.

Earnings for the 2005 first quarter, which ended March 31, included a $134 million gain related to the $240 million settlement of insurance claims on the EchoStar 4 satellite, the company said.

Revenue jumped 28 percent during the period, from $1.6 billion in the 2004 first quarter to $2 billion in the 2005 first quarter. EchoStar added 325,000 net new subscribers during the first three months of 2005, bringing its total subscriber base to about 11.2 million.