OSLO, Norway, June 29, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Telenor Satellite Services announced today that it signed an agreement on June 24 with British Telecommunications to provide a global managed IP custom network over satellite to 83 European Commission embassies around the world.The four-year agreement has an estimated value of 50 million euros and includes options for service extensions. The European Commission recently selected BT as the prime provider of its global managed IP network for terrestrial and satellite communications for Commission embassies worldwide. BT will provide the terrestrial connectivity and has selected Telenor Satellite Services to deliver communications over satellite via Telenor's very small aperture terminal (VSAT) equipment. Under the terms of the agreement, Telenor will provide BT a robust set of satellite capabilities that enable the European Commission embassies to use satellite solutions as either stand-alone services or integrate them with BT's high-end MPLS-based IP VPN service. Telenor's services include the design, delivery, installation, assembly, engineering, construction and maintenance of satellite communication networks with guaranteed availability and quality of service.
"Telenor and BT are both global leaders, providing customers a wide portfolio of services that incorporate the latest advances in communications technology," said Tore Hilde, chief executive officer for Telenor Satellite Services. "The powerful global terrestrial network offered by BT coupled with Telenor's established satellite communications network will provide a highly robust and extremely reliable global communications network for the European Commission."
Site Installations have begun and the network will be operational by the first of July 2005. Telenor Satellite Services is a subsidiary of Telenor ASA of Norway, listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (TEL) and NASDAQ (TELN).
Telenor Satellite Services is the world's preferred provider of global communications via satellite for customers on land, at sea, and in flight. Telenor's expanded product portfolio offers broadband satellite solutions, on demand services, and an innovative menu of value-added services capable of meeting communications requirements of users around the globe. Telenor also offers The SourceTM, a Web-based account management system available exclusively to Telenor Service Providers. Telenor Satellite Services owns and operates a global network of land earth stations located at Eik (Norway) and Southbury (Connecticut) and Santa Paula (California) in the United States, and operates VSAT hubs at facilities in Nittedal (Norway) and Prague (Czech Rep). The company uses the satellite systems of Inmarsat, Intelsat, Iridium, New Skies, Satmex, Spacecom, and Telenor's own satellites for its services. Telenor Satellite Services Web site is: www.telenor.com/satellite.