ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS
WIRE)--Feb. 20, 2007--EchoStar Fixed Satellite Services Corporation
(EFSSC), a subsidiary of EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ:
DISH), announced today that it has entered into a long-term contract
with ARTEL, Inc. to provide fixed satellite service for the Department
of Defense (DOD). Through the agreement, EchoStar will provide ARTEL
multiple satellite transponders within its satellite fleet.
"We are
pleased to enter into this agreement with ARTEL to provide them with
critical bandwidth and uplink services within our fixed satellite
service product," said Michael Kelly, executive vice president of FSS
Business Development for EchoStar. "With EchoStar's fleet of 14
satellites, we were able to establish a satellite solution to achieve
the unique requirements presented by ARTEL and the Department of
Defense."
EFSSC's capacity will be used by the U.S. Military in conjunction
with the Joint Network Node (JNN) mobile communications system. The JNN
allows the U.S. Military to route communication and data, as well as
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) traffic, over commercial satellites
to connect with other military networks. EchoStar represents a
significant source of Ku-band and Ka-band satellite capacity together
with satellite related products and support services.
"We look forward to working with EchoStar and feel that there are
many synergies between our companies," noted Abbas Yazdani, president
and CEO of ARTEL. "This type of business requires customized solutions
and EchoStar's uplink engineering staff has been very responsive to our
requests."
For more information on EFSSC or for occasional satellite services,
contact Michael Kelly at 303-723-1080, michael.kelly@echostar.com or
Greg Sheldon at 303-706-5264, greg.sheldon@echostar.com.
About EchoStar Fixed Satellite Services Corporation (EFSSC)
EFSSC owns or leases 14 in-orbit satellites operating in FSS Ku-band,
BSS and Ka-band. The company has an extensive terrestrial fiber optic
network with points of presence in 168 cities and seven regional
gateways to provide customers with end-to-end connectivity and a
reliable platform to distribute video and data throughout the United
States and internationally.
About EchoStar Communications Corporation
EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) serves more than
13 million satellite TV customers through its DISH Network(TM), the
fastest-growing pay-TV provider in the country since 2000. DISH
Network's services include hundreds of video and audio channels,
Interactive TV, HDTV, sports and international programming, together
with professional installation and 24-hour customer service. EchoStar
has been a leader for more than 25 years in satellite TV equipment sales
and support worldwide. EchoStar is included in the Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX)
and is a Fortune 300 company. Visit EchoStar's Web site at
www.echostar.com or call 1-800-333-DISH (3474).
About ARTEL, Inc.
Founded in 1986, ARTEL is a global leader in information technology
providing a full spectrum of telecommunications, network management,
solutions integration and information security services to meet the
critical business and technology objectives of its clients. Operating in
six of the seven continents around the globe in both commercial and
government markets, ARTEL provides information technology solutions that
cover the full life-cycle process, beginning with strategic business
analysis and planning and ending with full implementation. Visit ARTEL
on the web at www.artelinc.com.
CONTACT: EchoStar Communications Corporation
Kevin Hubbard, 720-514-5351
press@echostar.com
or
Merritt Group for ARTEL
Brian Lake, 703-390-1515
lake@merrittgrp.com
SOURCE: EchoStar Communications Corporation
