The Turbosat system is designed to be the most flexible multimedia networking solution available and minimize barriers to VSAT adoption worldwide. Turbosat, which will be available in January 1998, will initially be offered on the satellite fleet of GE Americom. Turbosat will be the basis for several GE Spacenet service offerings that will further increase the global appeal of VSAT networks.

GE Spacenet President Gino Picasso said, ``The breakthroughs achieved by Turbosat address the keys of data networking today. The .47-meter (18-inch) dish ensures ubiquity of service, the advanced speeds enable broadband applications, and the focus on operating costs -- such as satellite bandwidth -- allows VSAT use in small emerging markets as well as the largest networks ever implemented.''

The incorporation of GE Spacenet's patented CDMA Spread Spectrum satellite access technology makes Turbosat the first VSAT system to offer two-way remote antennas as small as .47 meters. The new antenna can be quickly installed almost anywhere and is ideal for typical VSAT applications such as point-of- sale credit processing and automatic teller machines at financial institutions and retail stores.

Depending on antenna sizes, Turbosat can achieve inbound channel speeds of up to 1.7 Mbps and outbound speeds of up to 2 Mbps -- the industry's highest VSAT data rates -- to specifically address high-bandwidth applications such as corporate intranet access and LAN file transfer.

Software and hardware enhancements offered by GE Spacenet will increase Turbosat's outbound speeds up to 20 Mbps, resulting in a two-way VSAT system with a clear migration path for broadband applications.

Company officials said Turbosat's higher-bandwidth configurations compete with terrestrial Frame Relay while delivering the strengths of satellite broadcasting capabilities. TCP/IP spoofing capabilities embedded into Turbosat optimize its performance across satellite bandwidth and allow it to serve as an effective router at higher data rates.

Turbosat's superior error correction coding and an innovative satellite access methodology enable customers to utilize a larger percentage of the bandwidth they pay for -- thus keeping cost of VSAT ownership low. This is especially appealing in international markets.

Turbosat is the industry's first scalable VSAT system that can adjust outbound data rates upward as users' bandwidth requirements grow. Unlike typical VSAT networks, which jump in large steps (i.e., 256 kbps, 512 kbps, or 1 Mbps), Turbosat enables outbound data rates to closely match users' needs. For example, customers whose network performance goals require 300 kbps can configure their networks to match the need, instead of being forced into the next higher and more expensive 512 kbps increment. This keeps cost of usage low as satellite bandwidth is expanded in an incremental and cost-effective manner.

Picasso added, ``Turbosat was designed and developed internally by GE Spacenet under GE's Six Sigma quality program and is expected to exceed the reliability standards of all other VSAT products on the market.''