ME Newswire: O3b Networks and Skynet to provide Ultra-Fast Internet Connectivity to the Colombian Amazonas

Saturday, September 8, 2012

O3b Networks and Skynet to provide Ultra-Fast Internet Connectivity to the Colombian Amazonas

JERSEY, Channel Islands & CARTAGENA, Colombia - Friday, September 7th 2012 [ME NewsWire]

-(BUSINESS WIRE)-- O3b Networks today announced a milestone multi-year, multi-million dollar agreement with Skynet Colombia to provide high-speed satellite-delivered internet connectivity to the Colombian Amazonas region.

As a forward-looking internet service provider, Skynet is the first provider in Colombia to utilize O3b’s new Trunking product, O3b Trunk which delivers very high bandwidth at a fraction of the cost of conventional satellites.

Skynet will bring the much sought after broadband service to a region of Colombia that lacks fiber and microwave infrastructure. The Colombian Amazon has around 70,000 inhabitants, concentrated in 11 municipalities and has poverty rates approaching 40%. This connectivity will give the region a window to the world, developing the regional economy and bringing much desired broadband services to the local population.

“We are delighted to have SkyNet as our first customer in Colombia. SkyNet is an innovative company which is always looking for the best solutions in the market. O3b’s platform will allow SkyNet to offer its customers much higher throughputs while the low latency of the service provides a true broadband customer experience, enabling time sensitive applications to run seamlessly,”said Omar Trujillo, Regional VP Latin America, O3b Networks Ltd. “The Amazonas region of Colombia has much to offer the world and can benefit tremendously from reliable good quality communications.”

"This is an unprecedented technology development in Colombia as for the first time the people of the Colombian Amazon will have the opportunity to experience the same benefits as people in the larger cities of the country can through high-speed internet access and fiber-like latency. We are delighted to partner with O3b who can offer this unique service to this part of the country desperately in need of high-speed connectivity," said René Otero, CEOof Skynet.He added,“We look forward to the service coming online next year. The special features of the service offered by SkyNet and 03b are without precedent in the region and are a perfect match to the efforts already underway to close the digital divide and bring low cost high-speed internet to all of Colombia by 2014 - especially in the most remote locations of the country where there is a lack of terrestrial networks."

About O3b Networks Ltd.

O3b Networks is a global satellite service provider building a next-generation satellite network for telecommunications operators, Internet service providers, enterprise and Government customers in emerging markets. The O3b system will combine the global reach of satellite with the speed of a fiber‐optic network providing billions of consumers and businesses in nearly 180 countries with low‐cost, high‐speed, low latency Internet and mobile connectivity. O3b Networks’ investors are SES, Google, Liberty Global, HSBC Principal Investments, Northbridge Venture Partners, Allen & Company, Development Bank of Southern Africa, Sofina, Satya Capital and Luxempart. O3b Networks is headquartered in St. John, Jersey, Channel Islands.

About Skynet

SkyNet is a telecommunications service provider specializing in satellite services. It integrates the most advanced and efficient technologies available from its own teleports using C band and Ku band satellite bandwidth, and soon Ka band. Skynet offers high quality Internet access and Voice and Data services in remote regions of Latin America, including maritime services, where fiber infrastructure is poor or non-existent. With over 20 years of experience in the field, Skynet achieved double-digit sustained growth in the last five years, establishing itself as a leading provider of satellite telecommunications in the region. Although its main business focus is the corporate and government sector, medium-term plans include expanding offerings to small and medium businesses (SOHO) and to the direct to home video market (DTH) with integrated IP services. Skynet plans to not only gain market share but expand the demand by offering high quality services at competitive prices. Skynet is a privately owned corporation with headquarters located in the World Trade Center in Bogota, Colombia.

This press release is for informational purposes only and is not an offer of securities for sale in the United States. Securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration. Any public offering of securities to be made in the United States will be made by means of a prospectus that may be obtained from the issuer and that will contain detailed information about the issuer and management, as well as financial statements. The company does not intend to register any part of the present offering in the United States.