Message-ID: <01BF4326.CD6611E0@134.vita.org> Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 15:54:11 -0500 From: Gary Garriott <mailto:garyg@VITA.ORG> Subject: Breakthrough agreement To: mailto:DEVEL-L@LISTSERV.AMERICAN.EDU
BREAKTHROUGH AGREEMENT REACHED ON RURAL EMAIL SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS IN DEVELOPING NATIONSFor Immediate Release
FRIDAY, DEC. 10, 1999 - Henry Norman, President of the nonprofit Volunteers in Technical Assistance (VITA) today announ ed the signing of an innovative agreement that will permit it and its collaborators to bring low cost email services to ural and isolated areas of developing countries. The other signatories to the unique agreement are commercial companies, Wavix, Inc. of Maryland (Wavix), and the Surrey Satellite Technology, Ltd., of Guildford England (SSTL).
VITA is dedicated to bringing technical assistance to the developing world. In 1993, VITA received a "Pioneer's Prefere ce" license from the Federal Communications Commission for its early work in non-military applications of low earth orbi ing satellites. SSTL is one of the world's premier builders of small satellites and had launched its latest, UoSAT-12, i April. Wavix has been seeking satellite capacity to transmit oceanographic and meteorological information to its client , via the Internet, from ocean buoys worldwide. A three party agreement has been worked out under which, subject to any ecessary FCC approvals, SSTL will lease a transponder on UoSAT-12 to VITA, and VITA will operate the transponder in acco dance with the terms of its FCC authorization for a low earth orbit satellite system. VITA will sub-lease capacity to Wa ix, which will make financing available for the arrangement with SSTL.
VITA is entitled to use 50 percent of the capacity to serve rural populations in the developing countries and Wavix, Inc will use the balance except for a small amount reserved to SSTL. This complex arrangement took a year to negotiate. How ver, the parties feel they have achieved a win-win situation in which the interests of all three organizations, particul rly VITA's commitment to bring communications to rural populations, are dramatically advanced.
Norman pointed out that "one half the population of the world has never made a telephone call and most are isolated by p verty, geography and distance. We will now be able to help bring them into the mainstream of development. That has been he purpose of this effort and we now have the means to begin."
John Borden, President and CEO of Wavix, Inc., said, "We are very pleased that in addition to meeting our own need to tr nsmit large volumes of data, we can join with VITA in this unique and pioneering humanitarian venture."
SSTL's Technical Director, Jeff Ward, said, "We are happy to have this opportunity to work with VITA and Wavix. The nego iations were complicated, but their ultimate success was assured by the desire of all the parties to make it happen."
A second satellite in the "virtual constellation," HealthSat-2, is owned by SatelLife of Watertown, Massachusetts, which was founded by Dr. Bernard Lown, professor emeritus at the Harvard School of Public Health. SatelLife has used the satel ite since it was launched to provide health information to physicians and hospitals throughout the world, primarily in A rica. An agreement among SatelLife, VITA, and Wavix was completed earlier this year. SatelLife will be able to use both atellites to carry out its mission and is a collaborator with VITA in the plans to use the two satellite system for huma itarian and development purposes. Holly Ladd, SatelLife's Executive Director, expressed her organization's enthusiastic upport for the VITA/Wavix/SSTL agreement and said, "We look forward to our collaboration with VITA in carrying out human tarian and development projects and enhancing the capacity of our sister organizations from both the developing and deve oped world to carry out theirs. We think the communicat
ions system now in place will be a major step forward." SSTL's Ward added, "We are very pleased that HealthSat-2, also o SSTL manufacture, will form part of the network."
Norman concluded, "This is the first part of a three part program which will include non-governmental organizations (NGO ) all over the world working closely together to develop an information culture in areas lacking communications. The par icipation of information providers from universities and research institutes also will be sought. In the future we hope o add more satellites, gateways and terminals. We are also negotiating with commercial satellite communications companie to ensure that whatever the demand, it will be met. What has been called the revolution of inclusion is about to be acc lerated."
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For further information, contact:
Gary Garriott (VITA), mailto:garyg@vita.org <mailto:garyg@vita.org>
John Borden (Wavix), mailto:john.borden@wavix.com
Holly Ladd (SatelLife), mailto:hladd@usa.healthnet.org
Jeff Ward (SSTL), mailto:j.w.ward@eim.surrey.ac.uk