ViaSat Exede considers bundling VoIP with Internet-by-satellite service

ViaSat is considering an expansion of its Exede Internet-by-satellite Ka-band service

by adding a VoIP satellite service to its Internet-only 12 Mbps offering.

According to Lisa Scalpone, Vice President of Exede, more than 100,000 have subscribed to the company's 12 Mbps Internet-by-satellite service. "We feel pretty good that people will make that trade for one, two, three megabits service,” she said. “For people who need to do things with speed, 12 Mbps is decisive."

Exede offers high-speed broadband service that can favorably compare with fixed wireless, 4G mobile, and stock copper-based DSL counterparts. According to various analytical models, around 35% to 40% of Exede's customer base selected the ViaSat satellite service despite the availability of DSL or cable wireline options in their location.

In addition, Exede is planning to release a competitively-priced bundle of broadband and voice services. "For the VoIP service,” Scalpone said on the challenges faced by the company's new offering, “the biggest issue is proving lag does not matter.”

According to VP Scalpone, VoIP calls can match or even improve upon the quality found in a typical narrowband cell phone call. Exede takes care to optimize and prioritize VoIP calls within the broadband network.

To prove its argument, ViaSat is building and turning over VoIP demonstration units to its retailers for testing by customers. "We have to demo everywhere," Scalpone said of Exede's planned VoIP satellite service. "If we can show people, I think it's going to be huge."

Exede's planned Internet and voice bundle will probably include home number portability, 911, and caller ID features. Its stand-alone Internet-by-satellite offering currently costs $50 per month.