WildBlue Communications’ Ka-band spot beam satellite, WildBlue-1 was successfully launched from Kourou, French Guiana aboard Arianespace’s Ariane 5 rocket. 
WildBlue-1 is a 4.7 metric ton high-power satellite based on Space Systems/Loral’s 1300 spacecraft bus and provides Ka-band spot beam capacity over the contiguous United States. Spot beam Ka-band satellites are a key component in WildBlue’s low-cost wireless broadband infrastructure. WildBlue also utilizes the Ka-band spot beam capacity over the United States on Telesat Canada’s Anik F2 satellitehttp://www.wildblue.com
- WildBlue launched service in Q3 2005 and currently serves more than 100,000 customers nationwide with broadband satellite access.
- In June 2006, WildBlue Communications signed five year wholesale distribution agreements with both DIRECTV and EchoStar Communications for its broadband Internet access via satellite. DIRECTV and EchoStar currently offer digital television entertainment via satellite to a combined total of more than 27 million customers nationwide. Each of DIRECTV and EchoStar intends to begin offering WildBlue high-speed Internet service in the coming months across the contiguous United States with further details on availability and pricing of their respective offerings to be forthcoming. The offerings will be provided separately under the DIRECTV and EchoStar brand names, and sub-branded as “powered by WildBlue.” The WildBlue broadband offering will be focused on small town America and rural markets.
- In May 2006, AT&T began selling satellite-based broadband Internet access service, powered by WildBlue, to rural customers across its 13-state territory. Rural satellite-based broadband subscribers will have three service packages to choose from, with prices ranging from $49.95 to $79.95 per month, and broadband speed options ranging up to 1.5 Mbps downstream and up to 256 Kbps upstream.
