COMSAT Wins Contract for World's First Commercial ATM Via Satellite Service
Satellite Link to Carry High-Speed Internet Traffic Between Puerto Rico and South America
BETHESDA, Md., March 19 /PRNewswire/ -- COMSAT World Systems announced today that the world's first commercial Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) satellite link is up and running, extending the U.S. Internet backbone to several South American countries.
The ATM satellite link, which has service quality comparable to fiber, will carry Internet traffic between Puerto Rico's Telefonica Larga Distancia (TLD) and South America.
ATM has emerged as the networking protocol of choice for Internet Service Providers, carriers and multinational corporations. ATM connections enable companies simultaneously to transmit high-speed, high-bandwidth applications over a single network. COMSAT's new proprietary equipment and service make it possible for companies to extend, efficiently and cost-effectively, their ATM networks around the globe via satellite.
''This new service has been made possible by advanced telecommunications technology and equipment developed by COMSAT,'' said John Mattingly, president of COMSAT Satellite Services. ''As more and more companies use ATM networks for their voice, data and multimedia applications, they will need satellite service to reach parts of the world currently under-served by fiber optic cable.''
The ATM satellite link supports applications at speeds up to 34 Mbps outbound from Puerto Rico to South America. Traffic inbound to Puerto Rico from South America will be supported at speeds up to 8 Mbps. TLD will access the INTELSAT satellite located at 359 degrees East using Telecomunicaciones Ultramarinas de Puerto Rico's (Ultracom) earth station facilities at Humacao in Puerto Rico.
''The demand for Internet access in South America is one more indication that the information revolution is a truly global phenomenon,'' Mattingly said. ''As Internet use continues to grow at an exponential rate around the world, COMSAT is extremely well positioned to serve Internet Service Providers in meeting their backbone needs. COMSAT is proud to be part of the move to connect the world via the Internet.''
Companies around the world are turning to geosynchronous satellites to meet their global needs for Internet access and other broadband services. With ATM via Satellite, companies can extend their Internet links, corporate Intranets, and other advanced networks to virtually anywhere on the planet with great ease and efficiency.
ATM via Satellite is compatible with all major ATM network components, and supports ATM links at information rates ranging from fractional T1 to DS-3. Industries that already benefit from the efficiencies of ATM technology include health care, publishing, banking and finance, news delivery, and film production. (Refer to COMSAT news release dated March 11, 1997, for more information.)
COMSAT World Systems is a business unit of COMSAT Corporation (NYSE: CQ - news). COMSAT Corporation, headquartered in Bethesda, Md., is a global provider of satellite services and digital networking services and technology. |
