Chaparral Communications Delivers Distance Learning to Mexico
Through Edusat Program, Education on the Rise in Mexican Communities

San Jose, CA – June 6, 2006 – In the 1970s, the United Nations reported that Mexico was experiencing an education shortage. At this same time, two idealistic graduate students at Stanford University had a plan underway. Now more than 30 years later an improved version of this plan has been implemented by Edusat to deliver education to communities throughout Mexico.

“The original idea was to uplift mankind through education. This would improve the standard of living in developing nations,” said Bob Taggart, who with Jim Janky and Professor Bruce B. Lusignan, were the original innovators responsible for making low-cost satellite television reception possible. “We believed that satellite was the way to do it by beaming educational programming down to inexpensive satellite dishes located at schools.”

Today, Taggart is CEO of Chaparral Communications, Silicon Valley’s premier provider of products used in commercial and residential satellite reception systems worldwide. He founded the company more than 26 years ago and has played a significant role in the expansion of distance education in Mexico through a program called Edusat, for System of Educational Television via Satellite. Edusat is a government-owned television program offered free to the citizens of Mexico similar to public education.

Thanks to modern telecommunications, wireless technologies, high-speed Internet and Chaparral Communications, the country of Mexico is well equipped with teaching technologies including satellite television. Each year, more people of all ages have the opportunity to become better educated.

Edusat was created in 1995 to provide educational programming via digital satellite to remote primary and secondary schools in Mexico. Edusat provides basic educational programming for primary and secondary school students. With eight channels of their own and a reproduction signal for the Discovery Kids and Canal Cl@se channels, Edusat now reaches out to the Mexican and Latin American communities on issues of history, natural sciences, public health and well being.

Working in cooperation with Edusat, Chaparral has supplied more than 30,000 satellite dishes and components now installed at rural schools throughout Mexico.

“We are all very proud of this program. Edusat has brought education to thousands of students who would not have the opportunity to learn except by the use of satellite technology to bring them programming,” said Francisco Xochipa Sanchez, Director of Engineering for Edusat. “It has been a pleasure working with Chaparral over the past 12 years to make this a reality.”

To chronicle their rich history and development of the small satellite TV dish, which all began at Stanford, Chaparral recently produced a nine-minute flash video. Called “Satellite Industry Pioneers,” the award-winning documentary is available for view on the Chaparral website, www.chaparral.com.

“It is rewarding to think about where our vision began more than three decades ago, and how far it has progressed as part of the continuing success of Edusat,” said Taggart. “By offering connectivity to geographically distant areas we are increasing the level of education every day throughout the country.”

Chaparral Communications, Inc.

Headquartered in San Jose, CA, Chaparral Communications, Inc. is a leading provider of products used in commercial and residential satellite reception systems worldwide. Chaparral was founded in 1980 and is recognized for developing quality products, innovative designs, responsive customer service and leadership in the satellite reception system industry. Chaparral is privately held and products are manufactured in the United States, Mexico, China and Taiwan. For more information, visit www.chaparral.com or call 408.294.2900.