Gilat Satellite Networks has announced that Brazil's Amazonian Protection System (SIPAM) will deploy a Gilat SkyEdge II broadband satellite communications network at more than 1,000 sites. SIPAM operates a sophisticated network of cartography and telemetry systems that provide information to help manage weather forecasting, security and other public services in the remote Amazonian region.

The SkyEdge II VSAT network will serve as the foundation of SIPAM's efforts to modernize its communications infrastructure. The new broadband satellite network will enable SIPAM to more effectively disseminate critical information to Amazonian states and cities and the dozens of institutions and isolated sites that rely on SIPAM data to meet the demands of the region's population.

"We expect our new Gilat SkyEdge II network to dramatically improve the speed and reliability of communications between our facilities and remote sites," said SIPAM Technical Director Cristiano da Cunha Duarte.

"This means we can increase the quality of information - including weather bulletins - that we provide to the press, civil defense, educational institutions and researchers nationwide. When completed, we expect the performance of our broadband communications network to meet or exceed that of commercial broadband services available to Brazil's largest corporations."

Russell Ribeiro, Gilat Regional Vice President, Latin America said, "SIPAM's selection of the SkyEdge II platform is the most recent example of how organizations are trusting Gilat's advanced VSAT technology to solve some of the world's most demanding communications challenges.

This new broadband network will help SIPAM quickly disseminate important information to enable federal, state and municipal authorities to provide security for remote citizens. It will also help those authorities improve overall quality of life for indigenous tribes and other citizens in the nation's most isolated regions."

Gilat's SkyEdge II is a multi-service platform enabling the delivery of high-quality voice, broadband data and video services for diverse environments including enterprises, rural networks, cellular backhaul and government network applications. SkyEdge II is a standards-based system using DVB-S2 and DVB-RCS.

With better efficiencies and full adaptivity for both the inbound and outbound channels, it provides higher performance that serves the growing requirements of end-users. Gilat's diverse portfolio of SkyEdge II VSATs are all supported by a unified platform, offering service providers the most suitable product for their application needs as well as the flexibility to evolve their networks.

The newest addition to Gilat's SkyEdge II portfolio is NetEdgeTM, a dedicated solution for multi star networks, specifically designed to meet the needs of corporations and cellular backhaul applications.