Loral Skynet has announced that Brazil's Universidade de Santo Amaro (UNISA), Sao Paulo, has selected Loral Skynet do Brasil to support its UNISA Digital distance learning initiative using Skynet's Ku-band Estrela do Sul-1 satellite.
Beginning shortly, UNISA's service will make available a wide array of general and technical courses at four locations, expanding to over 100 locations throughout Brazil by February 2006. Courses will originate from UNISA's main campus in Sao Paulo using the Estrela do Sul-1 satellite as the communications platform for thousands of students using UNISA's interactive, e-learning application.
"In what was once an all C-band market, Brazilian organizations are more and more often turning to Ku-band to meet their satellite communications requirements," said Patrick K. Brant, president, Loral Skynet. "Skynet's agreement with UNISA Digital will provide thousands of Brazilians with access to affordable, high-quality education regardless of their location."
The UNISA Digital project employs local mini-colleges, called Poles, which manage the academic activities in each community. The Poles have facilities for classroom teaching, IT lab access and a connection to the UNISA system. Most of the curriculum is e-learning with multimedia and class recordings from studios in Sao Paulo.
"The UNISA Digital project combines broad academic expertise and technological functionality to deliver valuable learning resources to a geographically dispersed student population," said Gildo Manzi, UNISA Technology Manager.
"Loral's Estrela do Sul-1 satellite provides UNISA with a strong Ku-band footprint across all of Brazil and allows the University to provide students with a wide range of affordable and accessible educational opportunities."
Loral Skynet do Brasil was the first private Brazilian satellite company to offer Ku-band satellite services. Using Loral's Telstar 14/Estrela do Sul-1 satellite, the company provides fixed satellite services in Brazil and South America. The company has a ground station in Rio de Janeiro that provides tracking, telemetry, and control and access management from in-country technical staff.
