HYLAS 2 Milestone

Avanti Communications Group plc

HYLAS 2 Milestone

Avanti Communications (AIM: AVN), the satellite broadband operator, announces that HYLAS 2, Avanti's second Ka-band satellite, successfully completed its Critical Design Review this week. Passing this key milestone means that manufacturing of HYLAS 2 can continue to proceed at full speed and that the design has been validated.

The satellite, being built by Orbital Sciences in Virginia USA, uses the Star 2 platform and will deliver high speed, low cost two-way data communications via a payload of 24 fixed beams and one steerable beam in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The satellite will more than triple the capacity offered with Avanti's first Ka-band satellite.

Commenting, David Williams, Chief Executive of Avanti Communications Group plc said: "I am very pleased to report that the most important of milestones has been passed and that we have not lost a single day of schedule in this programme. We therefore continue to have full confidence that the satellite will launch on time in Spring 2012. This is important because we are experiencing very high demand for HYLAS 2 pre-sales, particularly in South Africa and the Middle East. It also demonstrates that our management teams are competent at managing multiple pressures very well."

--ENDS--

For further information please contact:

Avanti Communications Group Plc Tel: +44 (0) 20 7749 1600

David Williams

Cenkos Securities Tel: +44 (0) 20 7397 8900

Nick Wells / Max Hartley

Jefferies International Limited Tel: +44 (0) 20 7029 8000

Julian Smith / Oliver Griffiths

Redleaf Communications Ltd Tel: +44 (0) 20 7566 6700

Samantha Robbins / Paul Dulieu / Mike Ward

Notes to Editors:

About Avanti

¡ Avanti sells satellite broadband services to telecoms companies which use them to supply residential, enterprise and institutional users.

¡ Avanti's first satellite, called HYLAS 1, will launch in November 2010 and will be the first superfast broadband satellite launched in Europe.

¡ Avanti's second satellite, called HYLAS 2, is fully funded and will launch in Q2 2012. It will extend Avanti's coverage to Africa and the Middle East.

¡ The market for 2Mb satellite broadband products in the markets served by Avanti is estimated at more than 100 million households.