US satellite broadband provider ViaSat has bought managed Wi-Fi services specialist NetNearU to extend its high-speed Exede offering across a broader range of markets.
Privately-held NetNearU manages more than 60,000 Wi-Fi sites worldwide, offering a…
US satellite broadband provider ViaSat has bought managed Wi-Fi services specialist NetNearU to extend its high-speed Exede offering across a broader range of markets.
Privately-held NetNearU manages more than 60,000 Wi-Fi sites worldwide, offering a technology-agnostic system that serves markets including commercial airlines, live events, hospitality, enterprise networking and government broadband projects.
Financial details were not disclosed, and ViaSat has yet to determine the impact to GAAP earnings because it has not completed its valuation analysis, although it expects the deal will be accretive to non-GAAP earnings for fiscal year 2015.
Mark Dankberg, ViaSat’s chairman and CEO, said: “Wi-Fi is an increasingly important way to access broadband networks and cloud services. NetNearU’s breadth and depth in Wi-Fi expertise gives us important new ways to deliver more value and convenience from our networks.”
The acquisition comes just a few weeks after ViaSat expanded its reach by partnering with UAE-based MSS operator Thuraya to launch a combined Machine-to-Machine (M2M) platform.
That strategic partnership sees the Californian operator break into Thuraya’s near-global footprint across key markets such as the Middle East’s oil and gas industry.
ViaSat is meanwhile counting down to a mid-2016 launch of its next high throughput spacecraft, ViaSat-2, which is being built by Boeing.
Latham & Watkins LLP served as legal adviser to ViaSat on the NetNearU deal. William Blair & Company LLC served as the financial adviser and Winstead PC as the legal counsel to NetNearU.
