The program is being led by Caixa Economica ("Caixa"), Brazil's state owned financial institution, which manages the national lottery and will require Comsat to build, own and operate the network, one of the largest networks of its type in the world.

The network will provide high-availability broadband service for the national lottery, as well as related value-added transaction services over a nationwide backbone.

In addition to the lottery operation, Caixa will use this network for clearing over 80 Billion Reais (US$30 Billion) of consumer transactions per year. Comsat was chosen the winner pursuant to a competitive tender among six different communications companies including a consortium comprised of Brazil's principal incumbent telecom carriers.

This national lottery network is to be operated by Comsat under a 5 year, 283 Million Reais (US$108 Million) contract. The project will be comprised of an integrated satellite and terrestrial managed network.

Comsat will own the network and operate it for the entire term of the contract with Caixa. This award comes less than two months after the company was awarded the GESAC digital inclusion program, also in Brazil. With these recent awards, Comsat will become the largest provider of value-added VSAT services in Latin America with upwards of 20,000 connected VSAT locations throughout the region.

"The Brazilian lottery is one of the largest such programs anywhere in the world, and its new communications network will be among the world's most technologically advanced lottery networks. This award firmly positions Comsat as the premier provider of large data networks in Brazil and throughout the Latin America.

"We are thrilled to have been awarded this important project, and with the confidence large agencies such a Caixa place in Comsat to fulfill their critical network requirements," said Comsat President and CEO George M. Kappaz.

"Our unique ability to provide broadband service over an integrated terrestrial and satellite network will result in a high-speed network service of the highest quality for Caixa and its end users."

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