EchoStar, Geocast ink datacasting deal
The service will use EchoStar's existing satellite dishes to deliver content-rich data, including Web pages, software, music and games at speeds of up to 12 MB/s to subscribers' PCs via the GeoBox, which acts as a personal server with a 40 GB hard drive. The box caches personalized content for access anytime and refreshes constantly. Users will continue to use their current Internet provider for Web access and for email.
Menlo Park, CA-based Geocast is beta-testing its GeoBox for terrestrial data broadcasts – both the satellite and terrestrial broadcast services are expected to commence by Q3 2001. Separate GeoBoxes will be provided for separate platforms – GeoBox has agreements with Thomson and Philips for terrestrial data broadcast versions but did not announce who would manufacture the box for EchoStar, which manufactures its own decoders for its DISH digital satellite broadcast network.
‘National Footprint'
Up until now, Geocast had been primarily a terrestrial digital broadcast play – the company includes a number of veterans from the broadcast market and had signed agreements to use the digital terrestrial spectrum from Hearst-Argyle, Belo and Allbritton station groups. Geocast says it plans to extend its platform across cable as well and this new deal greatly expands the company's market, giving it potential coverage of 100 percent of the US.
"This deal gives Geocast an instant national footprint – a national consumer audience which we can leverage not only [EchoStar's] existing subscribers but all their future subs and beyond," said Geocast president Joe Horowitz.
By Tom Butts
Managing Editor, Digital Broadcasting.com