PRESS RELEASE 

AVONLINE APPOINTS NEW DIRECTOR OF BROADBAND SERVICES

Avonline plc - the largest provider of satellite broadband services to the UK - has appointed Steve Jolly as Director of Broadband Services.

He will lead the Avonline Broadband division which includes the company's range of fast satellite broadband services, including the new superfast 30Mbps broadband using satellite which is now available to some of the most under-served homes and businesses across the UK.

Steve, aged 50, has extensive senior experience in many of the nation's major telecommunications companies, with previous roles including director of service operations at BSKYB Group; head of connected world at o2 Telefonica UK; head of broadband customer operations at the Vodafone Group and head of strategic partnerships RWE at npower.

Mark Wynn, managing director of Avonline, said: "We believe 2016 will be a breakthrough year for satellite broadband and we are delighted that someone with Steve's experience and expertise is joining Avonline to help us deliver that potential.

"Government-subsidised schemes to help those unable to get fast broadband from fixed-line services have now been put into place in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. For many homes and businesses in these rural areas satellite broadband is their only realistic solution of a better broadband connection over the next few years, and no-one has more experience of installing satellite broadband in the UK than Avonline."

Steve Jolly said: "I am absolutely delighted to have this opportunity to work with Mark and the team to be part of this breakthrough year. Avonline have a real ability to provide high speed internet services to those communities in the UK that have for so long had to endure a terrible online experience and I'm really excited to be part of this."

Avonline provides the latest Ka satellite broadband solutions to homes and businesses across Europe partnering with leading satellite operators Avanti Communications and Eutelsat Broadband.

The company is installing systems for free under the recently-announced BDUK subsidy scheme which offers packages up to 22Mbps to households with less than 2Mbps broadband. In addition, Avonline is also offering a superfast 30Mbps satellite broadband service under the new Access Broadband Cymru scheme led by the Welsh Government and a similar superfast service under the Better Broadband pilot trial led by DCMS in trial areas in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged that everyone in the country would have the legal right to a broadband connection of 10Mbps as part of the introduction of a new Universal Service Obligation (USO).

Mr Cameron said: "Access to the internet shouldn't be a luxury; it should be a right - absolutely fundamental to life in 21st century Britain."

ENDS

Steve Jolly, Director of Broadband Services, Avonline plc

 Note to editors:

For further information:

Mark Wynn, Managing Director, Avonline Broadband, tel 07970 008001

Email: mark.wynn@avonline.co.uk

Further images are available from:

Ken Harrison, HPR Marketing, tel 07801 649045. Email kharrison@hprmarketing.co.uk