Alcatel inked a key satellite broadband deal in Saudi Arabia, signing an agreement with the Almisehal Group to supply “DSL-in-the-Sky” broadband access satellite gateway and associated terminal equipment.

The Almisehal Group will offer two-way broadband Internet access on behalf of the Saudi Telecommunications Company. The service will offer Internet Web browsing, Virtual Private Networks and e-learning services to schools, small- and medium-sized enterprises and private homes throughout Saudi Arabia.

“We firmly believe in the benefits of the broadband satellite access solution for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” Alcatel Space Chairman and CEO Pascale Sourisse said in a statement. “We are convinced that Almisehal greatly benefits from Alcatel’s expertise in both satellite and ADSL – in order to offer competitive broadband services, including value-added services, customer management and seamless integration into the terrestrial networks.” Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.