Nera, Telenor Sign Deal

OSLO, Norway and ROCKVILLE, Md. -- Norwegian telecom supplier Nera and satellite communications provider Telenor Satellite Services have signed a contract for the delivery of a broadband satellite gateway- the Nera Satlink Gateway. Telenor will use the new DVB-RCS SatLink System to expand its wide range of satellite communication solutions to meet the growing demand for broadband IP services among Telenor customers seeking a point of presence within the United States. The initial value of the Satlink Gateway contract is NOK 8 million.

DVB-RCS (Digital Video Broadcast -Return Channel System) is an open standard for two-way communication over satellite. DVB-RCS networks allow for cost-efficient broadband satellite transmit and receive links, and support a wide variety IP-based broadband services. A DVB-RCS system typically consists of a central RCS-Gateway for broadcast uplink and remote RCS-Terminal stations to connect the customers interactively to the network.

"With the Nera DVB-RCS SatLink System, Telenor Satellite Services continues to expand its portfolio of broadband Internet access services complemented by Telenor's unique value-added extensions. These services include media streaming, video broadcasting, Voice over IP (VoIP) telephony and IP multicasting, all of which are intended to meet the growing needs of enterprise customers who are not within reach of ADSL coverage," said Keith Regan, vice president of Engineering and Operations for Telenor Satellite Services. "At the same time, Telenor's DVB-RCS technology, powered by Terralink TM, Telenor's expanded IP infrastructure and related applications, can significantly reduce the cost of communications for our end users."

Nera Telecommunications Ltd.

Telenor ASA