WildBlue announced separate blockbuster deals with DIRECTV and EchoStar. The company signed five-year wholesale distribution agreements with the companies; deals that WildBlue said would make it the sole satellite-based internet solution each satellite company will offer to their respective customers for the next five years.

DIRECT TV satellite TV and EchoStar intend to begin offering the high-speed internet service in the coming months across the contiguous United States, WildBlue said. Further details on availability and pricing of their respective offerings will be forthcoming.

The offerings will be provided separately under the DIRECT TV and EchoStar brand names, and sub-branded as "Powered by WildBlue." The WildBlue broadband offering will be focused on small town America and rural markets, the companies said. The companies said this is especially important for those in rural areas, where cable and telecommunications companies have been slow in rolling out high-speed services.

The National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative has been selling WildBlue since its launch last year. The cooperative welcomed the DBS companies to the WildBlue business.

The two companies did not disclose pricing information, although WildBlue's services begin at $49.95 per month for 512kbps down/128kbps up. A separate dish is required to receive the Internet signal, however, no additional cable lines would be required.