Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada (January 29, 2004) – Norsat International Inc. (TSX – NII.TO; OTC BB – NSATF.OB) today announced that Hong Kong Cable Television Ltd. (CABLE TV) purchased a Norsat NewsLinkTM portable satellite terminal from Stratos, a Norsat partner. CABLE TV’s news and sports division will use the Norsat NewsLinkTM to provide coverage for the upcoming Taiwan elections.
Norsat NewsLinkTM enables broadcast quality video satellite connectivity in a very compact, portable terminal that packs into just three airline checkable cases. The Norsat NewsLinkTM, which supports industry standard MPEG-2/DVB-S broadcasting – is built rugged to survive harsh conditions and daily usage typical of SNG assignments. Norsat NewsLinkTM is also extremely easy-to-use and can be setup and operational in the field in minutes by non-technical personnel.
CABLE TV cited the Norsat NewsLink’s excellent portability and ease-of-use as key criteria in selecting it over competing alternatives. The portability was noted as particularly important in election coverage assignments where candidates are continually on the move and the system must be setup several times every day and be operational quickly in order to provide timely coverage.
“The Norsat NewsLinkTM has become an essential tool in election coverage with many of our customers,” said Cameron Hunter, Norsat President and CEO. “Broadcasters around the world are starting to see the benefits of using super-portable satellite terminals for election coverage where mobility and speed of deployment are critical in capturing the activities of important candidates throughout an election campaign.”
“We are also pleased to be working with a partner like Stratos,” added Mr. Hunter. “The global presence of Stratos and their focus on the broadcast, government, and enterprise markets provides significant synergy with our own marketing programs for the Norsat OmniLinkTM line of portable satellite terminals. We see significant opportunities in working together going forward.”
About Norsat International Inc.
Norsat International Inc. designs, engineers and markets satellite products for high-speed data transmission. For the past 25 years, Norsat has built a strong reputation in the field of satellite technology by providing its customers with innovative products and has now sold over 2 million products in 87 countries around the world. Norsat’s latest innovation is the Norsat OmniLinkTM line of portable satellite terminal products which provide rapidly deployable broadband satellite data connectivity in areas where traditional communications infrastructure is insufficient, damaged, or non-existent.
About Hong Kong Cable Television Ltd.
Hong Kong Cable Television Ltd. (CABLE TV) currently produces over 10,000 hours of programming a year, which is the largest television programming producer in Hong Kong. Throughout the years, it has successfully established a leading position in News, Movies and Sports television programming and will continue to introduce innovative local and international programs in order to bring more choices to viewers.
About Stratos
Stratos Global Corp. (www.stratosglobal.com) is a publicly traded company (TSX – SGB) and leading international telecommunications services provider offering customers operating in remote locations a variety of satellite and microwave wireless technologies to provide Internet Protocol, data, and voice solutions through a range of newly emerging and established technologies such as Inmarsat®, Intelsat®, Iridium®, Globalstar®, VSAT, and others. Stratos serves an array of diverse markets including government, military, oil and gas, maritime, industrial, aeronautical, media and recreational users anywhere in the world.
Forward Looking Statements
Statements in this release relating to matters that are not historical fact are forward-looking statements based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to general economic conditions, changes in technology, reliance on third party manufacturing, managing rapid growth, global sales risks, limited intellectual property protection and other risks and uncertainties described in Norsat’s public filings with securities regulatory authorities.
For more information contact:
Chris McCormack Doug Gunster
Director, Marketing
Phone: 604-292-9092
Email: cmccormack@norsat.com
Norsat International Inc.
300 – 4401 Still Creek Drive
Burnaby, British Columbia
V5C 6G9 Canada
www.norsat.com
Communications Manager
Phone: 301-968-1954
Email: doug.gunster@stratosglobal.com
Stratos Global Corporation
6901 Rockledge Drive, Suite 900
Bethesda, MD
20817 USA
www.stratosglobal.com
