Spacenet

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Spacenet, Inc., based in McLean, Virginia, is a provider of VSAT satellite-based data network services as well as hybrid satellite/terrestrial networks and network management services. The was founded in 1981 as a sister company to Sprint, providing satellite links for voice connections. The company grew into a worldwide satellite operator and services provider as it went through several mergers and acquisitions over the next 15 years, absorbing AT&T Tridom, passing through the hands of GTE and later becoming a division of General Electric Capital Services.

In 1998, GE sold Spacenet's North American operations to VSAT terminal manufacturer Gilat Satellite Networks, and spun the satellite assets off into GE Americom (which later became part of SES Global). In March 2005, Spacenet acquired its former sister company, StarBand, the first two-way consumer satellite ISP in the United States.

Spacenet's primary business is providing VSAT and hybrid/terrestrial data network services to government and enterprise customers under the Connexstar brand. Spacenet's enterprise/government VSAT services are used for a wide range of applications such as primary broadband or narrowband networks, disaster recovery/backup networks and multicast file delivery. It is the largest competitor to Hughes Network Systems in the North American enterprise VSAT market, with around 25% market share. As of 2006, Spacenet served about 50,000 enterprise sites and more than 30,000 residential and small office customers.