INDUSTRY INNOVATOR AWARD Winner

The  leading provider of satellite broadband - Wildblue - received  the Industry Innovator award  by the Society of Satellite Professionals ( SSPI )  The award was presented to WildBlue’s CEO, David Leonard during a special ceremony at the Satellite 2008 convention held annually in Washington, DC.

WildBlue received the Industry Innovator award for the successful introduction of its two-way broadband Internet service to homes and businesses across the United States via Ka-band satellite. In the process, WildBlue developed new satellite technology, featuring extensive reuse of frequencies in narrow spot beams, and led the commercial introduction of the Ka frequency band. This substantially lowered the cost of serving each subscriber, and made an affordable service possible.

"I am very proud to accept this prestigious award on behalf of all the employees at WildBlue," said Leonard. "Our incredible growth over the past year, combined with our high customer satisfaction ratings, affirms our commitment to being the best high-speed Internet provider for rural America."

The SSPI is a nonprofit, member-benefit society that serves satellite professionals throughout their working lives. The Industry Innovators Awards, introduced in 1993, recognize new and different designs, applications, activities and contributions to the satellite industry from the private and public sectors. Honorees are selected by a committee of industry experts for accomplishments that range across a broad spectrum of advanced satellite technology and business applications.