HELIUS INTRODUCES E-RATE INTERNET BUNDLE AT NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL COMPUTING CONFERENCE
"One-stop shopping" for high-bandwidth Internet connectivity via satellite
allows universal access, quick set-up and ongoing affordability
NECC, ATLANTIC CITY, NJ June 22, 1999 In concert with
last month's decision by the Federal Communications Commission to dedicate
$2.25 billion to connect every remote school, library and rural health
care provider to the Internet, Helius, Inc., today announced the Helius
E-Rate Bundle at the National Educational Computing Conference. The product
and service solution provides schools with one-stop shopping for Internet
connectivity. Coming complete with the Helius Satellite Router, a mini
satellite dish and the recurring access service, as well as the Virtual
Technician (SM) remote support, all Helius Bundle set-up and recurring
costs qualify for the FCC-funded "e-rate" (Schools, Libraries and Rural
Health Care Federal Universal Service Support Mechanism).
"Expensive phone lines can take months to install," said Helius CEO
Myron Mosbarger. "Since Helius delivers high-bandwidth connectivity via
satellite, schools can have a mini dish installed and be up and running
in two to four hours at a fraction of the cost. With four simple connectionsÇphone,
power, satellite and networkÇschools can immediately harness the power
of the Internet."
Offered with the Helius E-Rate Bundle is the Virtual Technician service.
It enables Helius support representatives to configure, service and maintain
school systems' Internet connectivity anywhere in the world from company
headquarters in Utah, eliminating the delays and expense of waiting for
service technicians to come on site.
Helius' Unique Internet Solutions for Education
Using Helius Optimized satellite interface technology, Helius is
able to deliver concurrent Internet access to as many as 250 users, at
speeds up to two times faster than T-1. Among the more than 1,000 sites
powered by Helius' data-over-satellite solutions are schools in the 27,000-square-mile
Navajo Nationsome located in areas so remote that telephone lines
have not been installed. Dr. David Basham, Director of the Navajo Learning
Network, describes the Helius data-over-satellite solution as "the only
affordable option for us." Dr. Basham continues, "Every day that our educators
and students are deprived of Internet access puts them farther behind
their cohorts in urban areas. Our partnership with Helius has allowed
us to provide Internet access in remote areas well over a year before
the telecommunications company could do it."
In rural Mississippi, Laura Sullivan, coordinator of media services for
the Laurel School District, continues to find that the speed and reliability
delivered throughout the Helius system make it possible to "use the Internet
as an effective teaching tool." She explains, "We are pretty heavy [Internet]
users, and our satellite solution from Helius has made it very painless
for us to have reliable and useful Internet access."
"Since it is difficult to get experienced technicians to our area in
a timely fashion, we were glad to know that a vendor could access the
router from their offices and make adjustments or repairs if anything
went wrong," Linda Smith, instructional media coordinator for the Lassen
County Office of Education in Susanville, Calif., commented. "With the
Helius Satellite Router we'll never have to wait for a technician to drive
here or be left talking on the phone, trying to explain what the system
is doing."
More E-Rate Perspective
In a May 27, 1999, address at the Fifth Annual White House Community
Empowerment Conference, President Bill Clinton expressed his commitment
to e-rate funding. "[E-rate] is part of our commitment to hook up every
school and every library in this country by the year 2000 to the Internet
and make sure that all the schools and all the libraries in the smallest,
poorest rural areas and the most densely populated poor urban areas, on
every Native American reservation, everywhere, that they will all be able
to afford to use this invaluable service." The U.S. Conference of Mayors
echoes President Clinton's commitment in a letter to FCC Chairman Bill
Kennard. "The E-Rate program provides a most crucial platform for our
most under-served schools to get online. The E-rate program helps bridge
the gap between wealthy, poor, urban and rural communities by providing
the deepest discounts to those with the greatest need."
Product Availability and Company Perspective
Pricing for the Helius E-Rate Bundle starts at $2,429, and recurring
service costs start at $109 per month. Professional installation is available
at additional cost. For more information, contact Richard Jackman at 1-888-764-9020;
or e-mail to press@helius.com.
Helius, Inc. is the premier - both "first" and "highest quality" - developer
of data-over-satellite solutions for local area networks (LANs). Helius
provides Internet service to tens of thousands of users throughout the
world. As an authorized reseller of Hughes Network Systems (NYSE: GMH)
DirecPC products and services, the company's Helius Optimized software
improves the efficiency and usability of satellite transmissions for thousands
of networked users throughout the world. A privately owned Orem, Utah-based
company founded in 1995, Helius is a Canopy Group holding under the Ray
Noorda/Canopy Group Investment Company. Ray Noorda is the former CEO of
Novell, Inc. (NASDAQ:NOVL). For more information about Helius and Helius
products, visit http://www.helius.com or call 1-888-764-9020.
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Helius and Helius Optimized are trademarks and Virtual Technician is
a service mark of Helius, Inc.
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