Gilat Satellite Networks has announced that its Virtual Network Operations (VNO) program with Spanish satellite operator HISPASAT has signed on two new ISPs who intend to provide Internet services via satellite in Spain and Portugal.

HISPASAT recently purchased a new SkyEdge II-c hub for its Arganda Teleport in Madrid. "A key reason for the adaptation of Gilat's advanced SkyEdge II-c platform was to better support our growing list of ISPs that require VSAT service for distant areas," remarked Ines Sanz, Head of Customer Engineering at HISPASAT.

"A key competitive advantage for ISPs is the ability to provide different services to different market segments. Gilat's flexible service differentiation system enables this important functionality via satellite."

The new ISPs are Euskaltel of the Spanish autonomous community "Basque Country", which previously ordered SkyEdge II-c Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) in a campaign to equip households with Internet access that are not covered by its cable network, and NOS (previously known as ZON Optimus) of Portugal, which placed an initial order for CPE kits for a government-funded project.

"We designed our VNO CPE kit with ISPs in mind," explained Erez Antebi, Gilat's CEO. "The kit delivers better user experience thanks to our acceleration capabilities. It is also 'future-ready' for up to 40Mbps data rates."