The 400-site DialAw@y IP network will be deployed evenly throughout the country, each VSAT servicing two public phones using a prepaid (scratch card) system and powered with solar energy.

Artel will deploy, operate and maintain the VSAT network for RwandaTel, Rwanda's national telecom company. Deployment has already begun and is expected to be completed by the end of January 2003. With the completion of this project, Rwanda, with a total land area of 24.950 sq KM, will have one of the highest densities of public satellite telephone lines per square kilometer in the world (1 public telephone per 30 sq km).

Artel Chief Executive Officer Yves Godelet said, "The service being provided is revolutionary for this area. It is truly gratifying to see that the 18,000 residents of a small, isolated island in the middle of Lake Kivu, on the Congo-Rwanda border, now have telephone communication and will have Internet access in the near future, as a result of this technology. Just yesterday, they were cut off from the world, and today they are enjoying the benefits of the Internet age. This is what is meant when you say bridging the digital divide."

Yoel Gat, Gilat's Chairman and CEO said, "This latest deployment of the DialAw@y IP for RwandaTel, illustrates yet again the unique fit of our VSAT technology for rural applications in Africa and around the world. Rwanda is facing the enormous task of closing the technology gap of several generations in just a few short months, making time an essential element in the project. Only VSAT technology allows for the deployment of hundreds of sites, in difficult terrain, in such a short period of time."

In July, Gilat announced a separate agreement with Artel for a hub station and a 100-site DialAw@y IP network to provide consumers and businesses with telephony and high-speed Internet service in the education, health care, financial services and government markets throughout Rwanda and Central Africa.

DialAw@y IP is one of the only VSAT products capable of providing high-speed Internet connectivity and toll-quality telephony service on a single, low-cost platform. Each unit supports a PC/LAN connection and up to six telephone channels. It is a low-cost solution for the fulfillment of Universal Service/Access Obligations, Public Call Office requirements and small office/home office (SOHO) requirements for bundled telephony and Internet access.

DialAw@y IP networks are rapidly deployed, highly scalable and field upgradable. The remote equipment functions in extreme weather conditions, has a long lifespan and can be monitored from a distance. Ultra-low power consumption (less than 25W) enables the units to operate in remote locations that have minimal or no electricity, by incorporating a single-panel solar system or power generators.

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