A three-year contract, valued at $12.8 million, has been awarded by the Peruvian Ministry of Education to Gilat Satellite Networks, for providing the SkyEdge II system and `Aries' satellite terminals which will facilitate Internet connectivity in 2,600 schools across Peru; thereby reducing the educational gaps in the country.

In keeping with the fact that low costs are generally the core of government-funded projects like the one undertaken by the Peruvian Ministry of Education, Gilat's system is a compact high-capacity platform which is capable of offering Internet connectivity at high speed broadband satellite communication, coupled with efficient system management as per the Fair Use Policy (FUP).

Along with the supply of the SkyEdge II-c hub and 'Aries' VSAT equipment, the contract - which is part of the Education Ministry's Directorate General of Educational Technologies' (DIGETE) initiative - will also require Gilat to provide the installation, maintenance as well as technical support services for the project.

With the contract awarded to Gilat implying that the project will join tens of thousands of global schools which are already connected to the company's satellite communication systems, DIGETE head Sandro Marcone Flores said that "broadband satellite communication is a crucial component in our goal to increase the number of school children with access to computerized technologies;" and added that the DIGETE was "delighted to have Gilat's rich experience in supporting such an important national initiative."