MCLEAN, VA. — In an expected move, two-way satellite-based ISP Gilat-To-Home said it has changed its name to StarBand Communications.
The Israel-based company is currently offering broadband high-speed Internet access through a two-way satellite system that is compatible with EchoStar’s Dish Network TV services, allowing Dish Network subscribers to combine both systems to compete against digital cable TV operators that offer cable modem service along with digital TV tiers.
“StarBand means Internet access without the constraints of a cable or telephone wire,” president and chief marketing officer David Trachtenberg said through an official statement. “If you can see the sky, you can enjoy StarBand.”
StarBand executives said they will use a technology called “Carousel” to push desired Internet content to the edge of a network, bypassing the bottlenecks from heavy user volume on cable and telephone lines.
StarBand is leasing 14 transponders on Loral Skynet’s Telstar 7 satellite for its system and will launch commercial distribution this fall in the United States.
Beyond cable and DSL providers, StarBand will compete with WildBlue Communications, a similar two-way satellite ISP service, which recently changed its name from iSKY.
