ViaSat Buying WildBlue for $568 Million

ViaSat Inc. (Nasdaq: VSAT) has agreed to acquire WildBlue Communications Inc., a Denver-based provider of broadband Internet-over satellite services in rural America. The deal is valued at $568 million, including $443 million of cash, $125 million of ViaSat stock and $68 million of WildBlue cash on hand. WildBlue has raised nearly $400 million in private equity funding, including a $50 million infusion in September 2008. Backers include Liberty Media, Intelsat, the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative and Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield and Byers.

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