Submission Documents

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 20-F

☐ REGISTRATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR (g) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from __________ to __________

☐ SHELL COMPANY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of event requiring this shell company report _________

Commission file number: 0-21218

GILAT SATELLITE NETWORKS LTD.
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

ISRAEL
(Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

Gilat House, 21 Yegia Kapayim Street, Kiryat Arye, Petah Tikva, 4913020 Israel
(Address of principal executive offices)

Yael Shofar, Adv.

General Counsel

Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd.

Gilat House, 21 Yegia Kapayim Street,
Kiryat Arye, Petah Tikva, 4913020 Israel

Tel: +972 3 929 3020

Fax: +972 3 925 2945

(Name, telephone, e-mail and/or facsimile number and address of company contact person)

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class

Ordinary Shares, NIS 0.20 nominal value

Name of each exchange on which registered

NASDAQ Global Select Market

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant of Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act: None

Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the issuer’s classes of capital or common stock at the close of the period covered by the annual report:

55,176,107 Ordinary Shares, NIS 0.20 nominal value per share

(as of December 31, 2018)

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

Yes ☐ No ☒

If this report is an annual or transition report, indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Yes ☐ No ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).

Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated file, a non-accelerated filer, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “accelerated filer,” “large accelerated filer” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act (Check one):

Large accelerated filer ☐	Accelerated filer ☒

Non-accelerated filer ☐	Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards† provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

The term "new or revised financial accounting standard" refers to any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012

Indicate by check mark which basis of accounting the registrant has used to prepare the financial statements included in this filing:

☒ U.S. GAAP

☐

International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board

☐ Other

If “Other” has been checked in response to the previous question, indicate by check mark which financial statement item the registrant has elected to follow.

Item 17 ☐ Item 18 ☐

If this is an annual report, indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

Yes ☐ No ☒

This report on Form 20-F is being incorporated by reference into our Registration Statements on Form S-8 (Registration Nos., 333-180552, 333-187021, 333-204867, 333-210820, 333-217022, 333-221546 and 333-223839).

INTRODUCTION

We are a leading global provider of satellite-based broadband communications. We design and manufacture ground-based satellite communications equipment and provide comprehensive solutions and end-to-end services, powered by our innovative technology. Our portfolio comprises a cloud- based satellite network platform, Very Small Aperture Terminals, or VSATs, amplifiers, high-speed modems, high performance on-the-move antennas and high efficiency, high power Solid State Amplifiers, or SSPAs and Block Upconverters, or BUCs. Our comprehensive solutions support multiple applications with a full portfolio of products to address key applications including broadband access, cellular backhaul, enterprise, in-flight connectivity, or IFC, maritime, trains, defense and public safety, all while meeting the most stringent service level requirements. We have a large installed base, having sold over 1.5 million satellite terminals spanning approximately 90 countries and currently have over 500 active networks.

In addition to developing and marketing ground-based satellite communications equipment, we provide managed network and services through terrestrial and satellite networks. We have proven experience in delivering complex projects and services worldwide. We offer complete turnkey integrated solutions including:

•

fully managed satellite network services solutions, including services over our own networks;

•

network planning and optimization;

•

provision of satellite capacity;

•

remote network operation;

•

call center support;

•

hub and field operations; and

•

construction and installation of communication networks, typically on a Build, Operate and Transfer, or BOT, contract basis.

In these BOT projects, we build telecommunication infrastructure typically using fiber-optic and wireless technologies for broadband connectivity.

We have a large installed base, having sold over 1.5 million satellite terminals spanning approximately 90 countries and currently have over 500 active networks.

We have 20 sales and support offices worldwide, four Network Operation Centers, or NOCs, and five R&D centers. Our products are sold to communication service providers and operators that use satellite communications to serve enterprise, government and residential users, to mobile network operators and to system integrators that use our technology. Our solutions and services are also sold to defense and homeland security organizations. In addition, we provide services directly to end-users in various market segments, including in certain countries in Latin America.

Prior to 2018, we operated in three business segments, comprised of our Commercial, Mobility and Services divisions. Commencing in 2018, in order to more accurately reflect management’s focus, organizational alignment, our customer base and end markets, we operate in three new business segments, as follows:

Fixed Networks provides advanced fixed broadband satellite communication networks, satellite communication systems and associated professional services and comprehensive turnkey solutions and fully managed satellite network services solutions. Our customers are service providers, satellite operators, mobile network operators, or MNOs, telecommunication companies, or Telcos, and large enterprises, consumers and governments worldwide. In addition, it includes our network operation and managed satellite network services solutions in Peru and Colombia. We focus on high throughput satellites, or HTS, opportunities worldwide, with focus on cellular backhaul, and are driving meaningful partnerships with satellite operators to leverage our technology and breadth of services to deploy and operate the ground-based satellite communication networks.

iii

Mobility Solutions provides advanced on-the-move satellite communications equipment, systems and solutions, including airborne, maritime and ground-mobile satellite systems and solutions. This segment provides solutions for land, sea and air connectivity, while placing major focus on the high-growth market of In-Flight Connectivity, or IFC, with our unique leading technology as well as defense and homeland security activities. Our product portfolio comprises of high-speed modems, high performance on-the-move antennas and high efficiency, high power SSPAs and BUCs. Our customers are service providers, system integrators, defense and homeland security organizations, as well as other commercial entities worldwide.

Terrestrial Infrastructure Projects provides network infrastructure construction, of the Fondo De Inversion En Telecomunicaciones, or FITEL, fiber and microwave network in Peru.

We have retrospectively revised our segment information for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 to conform to the new business segments presentation.

Our ordinary shares are traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “GILT” and on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, or the TASE. As used in this annual report, the terms “we”, “us”, “Gilat” and “our” mean Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. and its subsidiaries, unless otherwise indicated.

The marks “Gilat®”, “SkyEdge®”, “Wavestream®”, “AeroStream™”, “Raysat®”, “SatTrooper^TM”, “SatRanger^TM” and “Spatial AdvantEdge™” and other marks appearing in this annual report on Form 20-F marked with “®” or “™” are trademarks of our company and its subsidiaries. Other trademarks appearing in this Annual Report on Form 20-F are owned by their respective holders.

This Annual Report on Form 20-F contains various “forward‑looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and within the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Such forward-looking statements reflect our current view with respect to future events and, financial results of operations. Forward-looking statements usually include the verbs, “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “projects,” “understands” and other verbs suggesting uncertainty. We remind readers that forward-looking statements are merely predictions and therefore inherently subject to uncertainties and other factors and involve known and unknown risks that could cause the actual` results, performance, levels of activity, or our achievements, or industry results to be materially different from any future results, performance, levels of activity, or our achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward‑looking statements which speak only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. We have attempted to identify additional significant uncertainties and other factors affecting forward-looking statements in the Risk Factors section which appears in Item 3D: “Key Information–Risk Factors”.

Our consolidated financial statements appearing in this annual report are prepared in U.S. dollars and in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, or U.S. GAAP. All references in this annual report to “dollars” or “$” are to U.S. dollars and all references in this annual report to “NIS” are to New Israeli Shekels.

Statements made in this Annual Report concerning the contents of any contract, agreement or other document are summaries of such contracts, agreements or documents and are not complete descriptions of all of their terms. If we filed any of these documents as an exhibit to this Annual Report or to any registration statement or annual report that we previously filed, you may read the document itself for a complete description of its terms.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I			1
ITEM 1: IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND ADVISORS			1
ITEM 2: OFFER STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE			1
ITEM 3: KEY INFORMATION			1
A. Selected Consolidated Financial Data			1
B. Capitalization and Indebtedness			2
C. Reasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds			2
D. Risk Factors			2
ITEM 4: INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY			24
A. History and Development of the Company			24
B. Business Overview			25
C. Organizational Structure			41
D. Property, Plants and Equipment			41
ITEM 4A: UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS			41
ITEM 5: OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS			41
A. Operating Results			41
B. Liquidity and Capital Resources			54
C. Research and Development			55
D. Trend Information			56
E. Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements			57
F. Tabular Disclosure of Contractual Obligations			58
ITEM 6: DIRECTORS AND SENIOR MANAGEMENT			58
A. Directors and Senior Management			58
B. Compensation of Directors and Officers			62
C. Board Practices			65
D. Employees			73
E. Share Ownership			74
ITEM 7: MAJOR SHAREHOLDERS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS			75
A. Major Shareholders			75
B. Related Party Transactions.			77
C. Interests of Experts and Counsel.			77
ITEM 8: FINANCIAL INFORMATION			77
A. Consolidated Statements			77
B. Significant Changes			78
ITEM 9: THE OFFER AND LISTING			79
A. Offer and Listing Details			79
B. Plan of Distribution			79
C. Markets			79
D. Selling Shareholders			79
E. Dilution			79
F. Expense of the Issue			79
ITEM 10: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION			79
A. Share Capital			79
B. Memorandum and Articles of Association			79
C. Material Contracts			84
D. Exchange Controls			84
E. Taxation			85
F. Dividend and Paying Agents			93
G. Statement by Experts			93
H. Documents on Display			93
I. Subsidiary Information			94
ITEM 11: QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT ARKET RISK			94
ITEM 12: DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES OTHER THAN EQUITY SECURITIES			95

PART II			95
ITEM 13: DEFAULTS, DIVIDEND ARREARAGES AND DELINQUENCIES			95
ITEM 14: MATERIAL MODIFICATIONS TO THE RIGHTS OF SECURITY HOLDERS AND USE OF PROCEEDS			95
ITEM 15: CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES			95
ITEM 16: RESERVED			96
ITEM 16A: AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT			96
ITEM 16B: CODE OF ETHICS			96
ITEM 16C: PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES			96
ITEM 16D: EXEMPTIONS FROM THE LISTING STANDARDS FOR AUDIT COMMITTEES			97
ITEM 16E: PURCHASE OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY THE ISSUER AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS			97
ITEM 16F: CHANGES IN REGISTRANT’S CERTIFYING ACCOUNTANT			97
ITEM 16G: CORPORATE GOVERNANCE			97
ITEM 16H: MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE			98
PART III			98
ITEM 17: FINANCIAL STATEMENTS			98
ITEM 18: FINANCIAL STATEMENTS			98
ITEM 19: EXHIBITS			98
S I G N A T U R E S			102

PART I

ITEM 1:

IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND ADVISORS

Not Applicable.

ITEM 2:

OFFER STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE

Not Applicable.

ITEM 3:

KEY INFORMATION

A.	Selected Consolidated Financial Data

The selected consolidated statement of operations data set forth below for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, and the selected consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 are derived from our audited consolidated financial statements that are included elsewhere in this Annual Report. These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The selected consolidated statement of operations data set forth below for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 and the selected consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 are derived from our audited consolidated financial statements that are not included in this Annual Report.

The selected consolidated financial data set forth below should be read in conjunction with and is qualified entirely by reference to Item 5: “Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” and the Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto included in Item 18 in this Annual Report on Form 20-F.

Statement of Operations Data for Year ended December 31,

	2018			2017			2016			2015			2014
	U.S. dollars in thousands, except for share data
Revenues:
Products		173,966			214,522			214,291			128,970			157,531
Services		92,425			68,234			65,260			68,573			77,602
Total		266,391			282,756			279,551			197,543			235,133
Cost of revenues:
Products		121,147			153,167			162,563			94,683			106,905
Services		51,207			47,094			41,498			48,635			44,593
Impairment of long lived assets		-			-			-			10,137			-
Total Cost of revenues		172,354			200,261			204,061			153,455			151,498
Gross profit		94,037			82,495			75,490			44,088			83,635
Operating expenses:
Research and development, net		33,023			28,014			24,853			22,412			25,158
Selling and marketing		22,706			23,759			23,411			24,823			32,537
General and administrative		17,024			19,861			26,471			18,644			20,903
Restructuring costs		-			-			-			1,508			-
Goodwill impairment		-			-			-			20,402			-
Total Operating expenses		72,753			71,634			74,735			87,789			78,598
Operating income (loss)		21,284			10,861			755			(43,701	)		5,037
Financial expenses, net		4,298			4,307			4,843			7,243			3,837
Income (loss) before taxes on income		16,986			6,554			(4,088	)		(50,944	)		1,200
Taxes on income (tax benefit)		(1,423	)		(247	)		1,252			1,190			1,901
Net income (loss) from continuing operations		18,409			6,801			(5,340	)		(52,134	)		(701	)
Loss from discontinued operations (1)		-			-			-			(200	)		(795	)
Net income (loss)		18,409			6,801			(5,340	)		(52,334	)		(1,496	)

Net income (loss) per share (basic) from continuing operations (2)		0.34			0.12			(0.10	)		(1.16	)		(0.02	)
Net income (loss) per share (diluted) from continuing operations (2)		0.33			0.12			(0.10	)		(1.16	)		(0.02	)
Loss per share (basic and diluted) from discontinued operations (2)		-			-			-			-			(0.02	)
Net income (loss) per share (basic) (2)		0.34			0.12			(0.10	)		(1.16	)		(0.04	)
Net income (loss) per share (diluted) (2)		0.33			0.12			(0.10	)		(1.16	)		(0.04	)

Balance Sheet Data as of December 31,

	2018		2017		2016		2015		2014
	U.S. dollars in thousands

Working capital		105,765		92,035		92,609		60,529		66,588
Total assets		394,747		391,556		383,198		370,833		364,908
Short‑term bank credit and loans and current maturities		4,458		4,479		4,617		11,542		20,452
Long term loan, net of current maturities		8,098		12,582		16,932		21,493		26,271
Other long-term liabilities		7,229		9,007		9,766		11,484		13,336
Shareholders’ equity		239,072		218,322		209,826		178,082		225,139

(1)	In December 2013, we sold Spacenet Inc., a provider of managed network communications services utilizing satellite wireline and wireless networks and associated technology.

(2)	The loss per share for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 was adjusted, following the rights offering that the Company concluded in March 2016.

(3)

On January 1, 2018, we adopted the new revenue standards (Topic 606) using a modified retrospective method with the cumulative effect recognized in the accumulated deficit as of December 1, 2018. The consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2018 are reported under Topic 606, whereas the consolidated financial statements for 2017 and prior years are reported under Topic 605. See Note 2z, “Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements" to the consolidated financial statements for more details.

B.	Capitalization and Indebtedness

Not applicable.

C.	Reasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds

Not applicable

D.	Risk Factors

Investing in our ordinary shares involves a high degree of risk and uncertainty. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below before investing in our ordinary shares. If any of the following risks actually occurs, our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations could be materially harmed. In that case, the value of our ordinary shares could decline substantially, and you could lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Relating to Our Business

A significant portion of our revenue in 2018 was attributable to a limited number of large scale customers.

We depend on several large-scale contracts for a significant percentage of our revenues. In 2018, a significant portion of our revenue was attributable to our contracts with a large U.S. system integrator, with the Colombian Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications, or Ministry of ITC, and with a Peruvian governmental authority with respect to six regions in Peru, or the FITEL Regional Projects, as well as with an additional large service provider. The agreement with our U.S. system integrator customer accounted for approximately 15% of our revenue in the year ended December 31, 2018 and was with our U.S. based subsidiary, Wavestream Corporation, or Wavestream. The agreement with the Ministry of ITC accounted for approximately 13% of our revenue in the year ended December 31, 2018. The agreement was signed in 2013 with our subsidiary, Gilat Colombia S.A. E.S.P., or Gilat Colombia, and was extended several times for additional periods, with the last extension ending in the second quarter of 2019, and is expected to generate (from its initiation and including all extensions) aggregate revenues of approximately 312 billion Colombian Pesos (approximately $103 million). The FITEL Regional Projects accounted for approximately 10% of our revenue in the year ended December 31, 2018. The FITEL Regional Projects were awarded to us in 2015 and in 2018, and during their terms are expected to generate $393 million and $154 million in revenues respectively. The expected duration of the 2015 FITEL Regional Projects was significantly prolonged from their scheduled delivery dates due to continued delays in the construction phase, and is expected to continue for approximately 14-15 years. See Item 4.B. – “Information on the Company – Business Overview – Terrestrial Infrastructure Projects – Overview”. If we fail to deliver in a timely manner upon any of our large contracts or if FITEL or the U.S. system integrator customer were to terminate their existing contracts with us or substantially reduce the services or quantity of products they purchase from us, our revenues and operating results could be materially adversely affected.

Our failure to deliver upon our large-scale projects in an economical or a timely manner, or a delay in collection of payments due to us in connection with any such large-scale project could have a significant adverse impact on our operating results.

We have been awarded a number of large-scale projects by our customers, including foreign governments, such as the Peruvian FITEL Regional Projects in 2015 and in 2018, and contracts with a U.S. system integrator and a large service provider. While we have successfully implemented large-scale network infrastructure projects and operations in rural areas, the FITEL Regional Projects as well as other projects are complex and require cooperation of third parties. A failure to execute these projects in an economical manner within the projects’ budgets and schedules could result in significant penalties, impact our ability to receive and recognize the expected revenues, and cause us losses, which would significantly adversely impact our operating results. The expected duration of the 2015 FITEL Regional Projects was significantly prolonged from their scheduled delivery dates, due to continued delays in the construction phase and is expected to continue for approximately 14-15 years. As a result, our revenues and collection from these 2015 FITEL Regional Projects were delayed and therefore were less than initially expected in 2018. Such delays also increased our expenses which adversely impacted our operating results in 2018. Failure to complete the projects in a timely manner and pursuant to the updated schedule , will have a significant adverse effect on our business and financial results.

Additionally, the delivery of our large-scale projects requires us to invest significant funds in order to obtain bank guarantees and requires us to incur significant expenses before we receive full payment from our customers.

In the past, we incurred major losses and we may not be able to continue to operate profitably in the future.

We reported an operating profit of $21.3 million and net income from continuing operations of $18.4 million in the year ended December 31, 2018, an operating profit of $10.9 million and net income from continuing operations of $6.8 million in the year ended December 31, 2017 and operating profit of $0.8 million and a loss from continuing operations of $5.3 million in the year ended December 31, 2016. We also incurred major losses in years prior to fiscal 2016 and as of December 31, 2018 have an accumulated deficit of $683 million. We cannot assure you that we can operate profitably in the future. If we do not continue to operate profitably, our share price will decline and the viability of our company will be in question.

Our available cash balance may decrease in the future if we cannot generate cash from operations.

Our cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash as of December 31, 2018 were $104.2 million compared to $86.8 million as of December 31, 2017. Our positive cash flow (including restricted cash) from operating activities was approximately $32 million in the year ended December 31, 2018 compared to negative cash flow from operating activities of $17.2 million in the year ended December 31, 2017 and negative cash flow of $36.9 million in the year ended December 31, 2016. If we do not generate sufficient cash from operations in the future, including from our large-scale projects, our cash balance will decline and the unavailability of cash could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.

The delivery of our large-scale projects requires us to invest significant funds in order to obtain bank guarantees and may require us to incur significant expenses before we receive full payment from our customers. This applies mainly to the FITEL Regional Projects awarded to us in 2015 and in 2018, which are expected to generate $393 million and $154 million in revenues respectively, over a period of 13-15 years. We have used the advance payment received from FITEL as well as internal cash resources in order to finance the FITEL Regional Projects. We have used surety bonds and our internal resources in order to provide the required bank guarantees for the FITEL Regional Projects, which were approximately $127.2 million in the aggregate as of December 31, 2018. If we fail to obtain the necessary funding or if we fail to obtain such funds on favorable terms, we will not be able to meet our commitments and our cash flow and operational results may be adversely affected.

If the satellite communications markets fail to grow, our business could be materially harmed.

A number of the markets for our products and services in the satellite communications area, including high throughput satellite and commercial on the move products, have emerged in recent years. In addition, over the next few years the market is expected to move towards non-geostationary orbits, or NGSO, constellation networks and this may reduce interest and investments in geostationary satellite technology and services. Because these markets are constantly changing, it is difficult to predict the rate at which these markets will grow or decline. We also believe that there are many companies that are seeking ways to improve the ability of existing terrestrial infrastructure, such as fiber optic cable and point-to-point microwave, to transmit signals. Any significant improvement or increase in the amount of terrestrial capacity, particularly with respect to the existing fiber optic cable infrastructure and point-to-point microwave, may cause our fixed networks customers to shift their transmissions to terrestrial capacity or make it more difficult for us to obtain new customers. If fiber optic cable networks or other terrestrial-based high-capacity transmission systems are available to service a particular point, that capacity, when available, is generally less expensive than satellite capacity. As terrestrial-based telecommunications services expand, demand for some fixed satellite-based services may be reduced.

If the markets for commercial satellite communications products fail to grow, or if we fail to penetrate the NGSO market operating in low or medium earth orbits networks, or LEO/MEO, our business could be materially harmed. Conversely, growth in these markets could result in satellite capacity limitations which in turn could materially harm our business and impair the value of our shares. Specifically, we derive most of our revenues from sales of satellite based communications networks and related equipment and provision of services related to these networks and products a significant decline in this market or the replacement of VSAT and other satellite based technologies by an alternative technology could materially harm our business and impair the value of our shares.

Because we compete for large‑scale contracts in competitive bidding processes, losing a small number of bids or a decrease in the revenues generated from our large-scale projects could have a significant adverse impact on our operating results.

A significant portion of our revenues is derived from large-scale contracts that we are awarded from time to time in competitive bidding processes. The bidding process sometimes requires us to make significant investments upfront, while the final award is not assured. These large‑scale contracts sometimes involve the installation of thousands of VSATs or massive fiber-optic transport and access networks or production of customized products. The number of major bids for these large‑scale contracts for satellite-based networks and massive telecommunications infrastructure projects in any given year is limited and the competition is intense. Losing or defaulting on a relatively small number of bids each year could have a significant adverse impact on our operating results.

A large portion of our large-scale contracts are with governments or large governmental agencies in Latin America and any volatility in the political or economic climate or any unexpected unilateral termination or suspension of payments could have a significant adverse impact on our business.

In March and December 2015, the Peruvian government awarded us the FITEL Regional Projects under four separate bids for the construction of networks, operation of the networks for a defined period and their transfer to the government. In 2018, we were awarded two additional FITEL Regional Projects. These awards are expected to generate in the aggregate revenues of $547 million over a period of 13-15 years. The project with the Ministry of ITC that was awarded in December 2013 was extended several times for additional periods, with the last extension ending in the second quarter of 2019. The total amount of revenue expected to be generated from this contract, from its initiation and including all its extensions, is approximately 312 billion Colombian Pesos (approximately $103 million).

Agreements with the governments in these countries typically include unilateral early termination clauses and involve other risks such as the imposition of new government regulations and taxation that could pose additional financial burdens on us. Changes in the political or economic situation in these countries can result in the early termination of our business there. Any termination of our business in any of the aforementioned countries could have a significant adverse impact on our business. See Item 4.B. – “Information on the Company – Business Overview – Terrestrial Infrastructure Projects – Overview”.

We submit bids on large-scale contracts through regulated bid processes with governments and large governmental agencies and our awards can be challenged by losing parties. If successful, such challenges could significantly adversely affect our business and financial results.

Our awards in bids submitted to governments and large governmental agencies can be challenged by losing parties, and if such challenges succeed our financial results will be adversely affected. In 2018, we were awarded two additional FITEL Regional Projects in Peru, with expected revenues of approximately $154 million over approximately 13-15 years. The losing bidder consortium, which was disqualified by the bid issuer, applied for cancellation of the bid and obtained a preliminary injunction against the award. This matter is currently pending a judicial decision. Based on advice of counsel, we believe that the appeal’s chances of success are remote, yet if successful it could significantly adversely affect our business and financial results.

Some of our large-scale customers are highly leveraged and if any of them encounters financial difficulties, this could have a significant adverse effect on our business and financial results.

Some of our current and potential customers, including large-scale customers who contribute significantly to our profitability, are highly leveraged. If a major customer encounters financial difficulty, our business and operating results may be adversely affected and we may find it difficult to collect outstanding receivables. As an example, in June 2016, our customer, Oi SA, filed for judicial reorganization in a bankruptcy petition in Brazil. Collection of any outstanding amounts due to us prior to the petition is subject to implementation of the creditor arrangements which includes a discount on the amounts due us.

Actual results could differ from the estimates and assumptions that we use to prepare our financial statements.

In order to prepare our financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”), our management is required to make estimates and assumptions, as of the date of the financial statements, which affect the reported values of assets and liabilities, revenues and expenses, and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities. Areas that require significant estimates by our management include contract costs and profits, application of percentage-of-completion accounting, provisions for uncollectible receivables and customer claims, impairment of long-term assets, goodwill impairment, valuation of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in connection with business combinations, accruals for estimated liabilities, including litigation and insurance reserves, and stock-based compensation. Our actual results could differ from, and could require adjustments to, those estimates.

In particular, we recognize revenues generated from the FITEL Regional Projects using the percentage-of-completion method. Under this method, estimated revenue is recognized by applying the percentage of completion of the contract for the period (based on the ratio of costs incurred to total estimated costs of the contract) to the total estimated revenue for the contract. As a result, revisions made to the estimates of revenues and profits are recorded in the period in which the conditions that require such revisions become known and can be estimated. Although we believe that our profit margins are fairly stated and that adequate provisions for losses for fixed-price contracts are recorded in the financial statements, as required under U.S. GAAP, we cannot assure you that our contract profit margins will not decrease or that any loss provisions will not increase materially in the future.

Tax authorities may disagree with our intercompany charges, cross-jurisdictional transfer pricing or other matters and assess additional taxes.

We are subject to income taxation in the United States, Israel and numerous other jurisdictions. Determining our provision for income taxes requires significant management judgment. In addition, our provision for income taxes could be adversely affected by many factors, including, among other things, changes to our operating structure, changes in the amounts of earnings in jurisdictions with different statutory tax rates, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities and changes in tax laws. We are subject to ongoing tax examinations in various jurisdictions. Tax authorities may disagree with our intercompany charges, cross-jurisdictional transfer pricing or other matters and assess additional taxes. While we regularly evaluate the likely outcomes of these examinations to determine the adequacy of our provision for income taxes, there can be no assurance that the outcomes of such examinations will not have a material impact on our results of operations and cash flows. In addition, we may be audited in various jurisdictions, and such jurisdictions may assess additional taxes against us. Although we believe our tax estimates are reasonable, the final determination of any tax audit or litigation could be materially different from our historical tax provisions and accruals, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or cash flows in the period or periods for which a determination is made.

Our insurance coverage may not be sufficient for every aspect or risk related to our business.

Our business includes risks, only some of which are covered by our insurance. For example, in our satellite capacity agreements, we do not have a backup for satellite capacity, and we do not have indemnification or insurance in the event that our supplier’s satellite malfunctions or data is lost. Satellites utilize highly complex technology and operate in the harsh environment of space and therefore are subject to significant operational risks while in orbit. The risks include in-orbit equipment failures, malfunctions and other kinds of problems commonly referred to as anomalies. Satellite anomalies include, for example, circuit failures, transponder failures, solar array failures, telemetry transmitter failures, battery cell and other power system failures, satellite control system failures and propulsion system failures. Liabilities in connection with our products, services, managed networks services or in connection with our construction and deployment projects or in connection with our premises may not be covered by insurance or may be covered only to a limited extent. Our third-party suppliers do not always have back to back insurance coverage to the same extent guaranteed by Gilat towards its customers. In addition, we are not covered by our insurance for acts of fraud or theft. Our business, financial condition and operating results could be materially adversely affected if we incur significant costs resulting from these exposures.

We operate in the highly competitive network communications industry and may be unsuccessful in competing effectively in the future.

We operate in a highly competitive industry of network communications, both in the sales of our products and our services. As a result of the rapid technological changes that characterize our industry, we face intense worldwide competition to capitalize on new opportunities, to introduce new products and to obtain proprietary and standard technologies that are perceived by the market as being superior to those of our competitors.

Some of our competitors have greater financial resources, providing them with greater research and development and marketing capabilities. Our competitors may also be more experienced in obtaining regulatory approvals for their products and services and in marketing them. Our relative position in the network communications industry may place us at a disadvantage in responding to our competitors’ pricing strategies, technological advances and other initiatives. Our principal competitors in the supply of VSAT networks are Hughes Network Systems, LLC (acquired by EchoStar Corporation), or HNS, ViaSat Inc., or ViaSat, VT iDirect®, or iDirect, Comtech Telecommunications Corp., or Comtech, and Newtec Cy N.V, or Newtec. In managed satellite network services solutions, our competitors are Speedcast International Ltd., or Speedcast, SES and Intelsat. Most of our competitors have developed or adopted different technology standards for their VSAT products.

Our low-profile in-motion ground, aero and maritime antennas target a competitive market with multiple players such as Honeywell, Astronics AeroSat Corporation, or AeroSat, Qest Quantum Electronic Systems GmbH or Quest, Tecom Industries, Inc., or Tecom, and Thinkom Solutions or Thinkom. Competitors in the defense sector include General Dynamics Satcom Technologies, Orbit Communication Systems, or Orbit, Elbit Systems Ltd., or Elbit, and L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc. or L-3. Multiple additional competitors are entering the low-profile in-motion arena and specifically electronically steered antenna market, some with new and advanced technologies. If these new entrants and/or new technologies are able to significantly penetrate the market our business could be negatively affected.

In addition, ViaSat, SES and HNS have launched their own satellites, which enable them to offer vertically integrated solutions to their customers, which may further change the competitive environment in which we operate and could have an adverse effect on our business.

Where we primarily operate public rural telecom services (voice, data and internet) and are engaged in construction of fiber-optic transport and access networks based on wireless systems, we typically encounter competition on government subsidized bids from various service providers, system integrators and consortiums. Some of these competitors offer solutions based on VSAT technology and some on terrestrial technologies (typically, fiber-optic and wireless technologies). In addition, as competing technologies such as cellular network and fiber-optic become available in rural areas where not previously available, our business could be adversely affected. We may not be able to compete successfully against current or future competitors. Such competition may adversely affect our future revenues and, consequently, our business, operating results and financial condition.

Our lengthy sales cycles could harm our results of operations if forecasted sales are delayed or do not occur.

The length of time between the date of initial contact with a potential customer or sponsor and the execution of a contract with the potential customer or sponsor may be lengthy and vary significantly depending on the nature of the arrangement. During any given sales cycle, we may expend substantial funds and management resources and not obtain significant revenue, resulting in a negative impact on our operating results. In some cases, we have seen longer sales cycles in all of the regions in which we do business. In addition, we have seen projects delayed or even canceled, which would also have an adverse impact on our sales cycles. As a result, it may be difficult for us to accurately forecast sales due to the uncertainty around these projects and their award and starting periods.

We may need to make acquisitions or form strategic alliances or partnerships in order to remain competitive in our market, and such acquisitions, strategic alliances or partnerships could be difficult to integrate, disrupt our business and dilute shareholder value.

We generally seek to acquire businesses that enhance our capabilities and add new technologies, products, services and customers to our existing businesses. We may not be able to identify acquisition candidates on commercially reasonable terms or at all. If we make additional business acquisitions, we may not be able to successfully integrate the business acquired or we might not realize the benefits anticipated from these acquisitions, including sales growth, cost synergies and improving margins. Furthermore, we might not be able to obtain additional financing for business acquisitions, since such additional financing could be restricted or limited by the terms of our debt agreements or due to unfavorable capital market conditions.

Further, once integrated, acquisitions may not achieve comparable levels of revenues, profitability or productivity as our existing business or otherwise perform as expected. The occurrence of any of these events could harm our business, financial condition or results of operations.

In 2010, we completed the acquisition of RaySat Antenna Systems, or RAS, a leading provider of on-the-move antenna solutions, of RaySat BG, a Bulgarian research and development center, and of Wavestream, a provider of SSPAs and BUCs. If our projection for growth in the airborne business does not materialize and we fail to obtain additional business in our Mobility Solutions segment, we would likely record an impairment of goodwill. In 2015, we performed an analysis of implied carrying value of our Wavestream subsidiary in accordance with ASC 350 and recorded goodwill impairment losses of approximately $20.4 million. In 2016, 2017 and 2018, no impairment losses were identified.

The risks associated with acquisitions by us include the following, any of which could seriously harm our results of operations or the price of our shares:

issuance of equity securities as consideration for acquisitions that would dilute our current shareholders’ percentages of ownership;

significant acquisition costs;

decrease of our cash balance;

the incurrence of debt and contingent liabilities;

difficulties in the assimilation and integration of operations, personnel, technologies, products and information systems of the acquired companies;

diversion of management’s attention from other business concerns;

contractual disputes;

risks of entering geographic and business markets in which we have no or only limited prior experience;

potential loss of key employees of acquired organizations;

the possibility that business cultures will not be compatible;

the difficulty of incorporating acquired technology and rights into our products and services;

unanticipated expenses related to integration of the acquired companies; and

difficulties in implementing and maintaining uniform standards, controls and policies.

Any of these events would likely result in a material adverse effect on our results of operations, cash flows and financial position.

U.S. Government spending priorities and terms may change in a manner adverse to our businesses.

Our contracts with and sales to systems integrators in connection with government contracts in the U.S. are subject to the congressional budget authorization and appropriations process. Congress appropriates funds for a given program on a fiscal year basis, even though contract periods of performance may extend over many years. Consequently, at the beginning of a major program, the contract is partially funded, and additional monies are normally committed to the contract by the procuring agency only as appropriations are made by Congress in future fiscal years. Department of Defense, or DoD, budgets are a function of factors beyond our control, including, but not limited to, changes in U.S. procurement policies, budget considerations, current and future economic conditions, presidential administration priorities, changing national security and defense requirements, geopolitical developments and actual fiscal year congressional appropriations for defense budgets. Any of these factors could result in a significant decline in, or redirection of, current and future DoD budgets and impact our future results of operations.

Our customers’ products compete with other government policy needs, which may be viewed as more necessary, for limited resources and an ever-changing amount of available funding in the budget and appropriation process. Budget and appropriations decisions made by the U.S. Government are outside of our control and have long-term consequences for our business. U.S. Government spending priorities and levels remain uncertain and difficult to predict and are affected by numerous factors, including until recently sequestration (automatic, across-the-board U.S. Government budgetary spending cuts), and the purchase of our products could be superseded by alternate arrangements. A change in U.S. Government spending priorities or an increase in non-procurement spending at the expense of our programs, or a reduction in total U.S. Government spending, could have material adverse consequences on our future business.

Since we generate significant revenues from clients that bid on contracts with U.S. government agencies, our operating results could be adversely affected by spending caps or changes in the budgetary priorities of the U.S. government, as well as by delays in bidding processes, program starts or the award of contracts or task orders under contracts.

Furthermore, in light of the current geopolitical situation, with reductions in U.S. operational presence in Iraq, Afghanistan and potentially in the Middle East, there may be additional declines in the U.S. government’s demand for and use of commercial satellite services in the future. If procurement priorities related to defense transformation or overseas operations cease or slow down, then our business, financial condition and results of operations could be impacted negatively.

If we are unable to competitively operate within the network communications market and respond to new technologies, our business could be adversely affected.

The network communications market, which our products and services target, is characterized by rapid technological changes, new product introductions and evolving industry standards. If we fail to stay abreast of significant technological changes, our existing products and technology could be rendered obsolete. Historically, we have endeavored to enhance the applications of our existing products to meet the technological changes and industry standards. Our success is dependent upon our ability to continue to develop new innovative products, applications and services and meet developing market needs.

To remain competitive in the network communications market, we must continue to be able to anticipate changes in technology, market demands and industry standards and to develop and introduce new products, applications and services, as well as enhancements to our existing products, applications and services. Competitors in satellite ground equipment market, low-profile antenna market and high power transceivers market are introducing new and improved products and our ability to remain competitive in this field will depend in part on our ability to advance our own technology. New communications networks that integrate satellites operating in low or medium earth orbits (NGSO) may compete significantly with current networks and may reduce the market prices and success of our current products until such time as we adapt our technology to support NGSO satellites. If we are unable to respond to technological advances on a cost-effective and timely basis, or if our new products or applications are not accepted by the market, our business, financial condition and operating results could be adversely affected.

If we are unable to competitively operate within the GEO, HTS/VHTS and NGSO satellite environments, our business could be adversely affected.

Some of our competitors have launched Ka-band satellites. These actions may affect our competitiveness due to the relative lower cost of Ka-band space segment per user as well as the increased integration of the VSAT technology in the satellite solution. Due to the current nature of the HTS solution where the initial investment in ground-based satellite communication gateway equipment is relatively high, ground-based satellite communication equipment effectively becomes tightly coupled to the specific satellite technology. As such, there may be circumstances where it is difficult for competitors to compete with the incumbent VSAT vendor using the particular HTS satellite. If this occurs, the market dynamics may change to favor a VSAT vendor partnering with the satellite service provider, which may decrease the number of vendors who may be able to succeed. We believe that this trend will intensify as the market moves toward very high throughput satellite, or VHTS and NGSO constellation networks. If we are unable to forge such a partnership our business could be adversely affected.

Although we have entered the HTS market with responsive HTS VSAT technology, we expect that our penetration into that market will be gradual and our success is not assured. In addition, our competitors, who are producing large numbers of HTS VSATs, may benefit from cost advantages. If we are unable to reduce our HTS VSAT costs sufficiently, we may not be competitive in the international market. We also expect that competition in this industry will continue to increase.

If we lose existing contracts, or orders for our products are not renewed, our ability to generate revenues will be harmed.

A significant part of our business in previous years, including in 2018, was generated from recurring customers. Accordingly, the termination or non-renewal of our contracts could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results. Some of our existing contracts could be terminated or not renewed due to any of the following reasons, among others:

dissatisfaction of our customers with our products and/or the services we provide or our inability to provide or install additional products or requested new applications on a timely basis;

customers’ default on payments due;

our failure to comply with covenants or obligations in our contracts;

the cancellation of the underlying project by the sponsoring government body; or

change in the shareholders controlling our company.

If we are not able to retain our present customer base and gain new customers, our revenues will decline significantly. In addition, if our service businesses in Peru and Colombia do not win new government related contracts, our financial position may be adversely affected.

Failure to expand our business into the IFC, cellular backhaul or NGSO markets, could have a material adverse effect on our overall business.

Although we have signed contracts with Telcos and other customers in the IFC, commercial and cellular backhaul markets, we may not be successful in our plans to expand our business in these markets or in expanding into the NGSO markets. These markets are relatively new and are highly concentrated with a limited number of players and will require additional expenditures for research and development and sales and marketing. In addition, the cellular backhaul market with Telcos, the commercial IFC market and the NGSO market may fail to grow in accordance with our expectations.

We may also not be able to develop new technologies for those markets on a timely basis. Some of our projects include long and costly development programs, which could incur unexpected delays, or may require additional investment of resources, broader than expected. If we fail to meet the requirements of our development programs in a timely manner, we will incur penalties and other losses, which could have a significant adverse impact on our business and operating results. Barriers to further develop those markets could have a material adverse effect on our business and operating results.

Our failure to obtain or maintain authorizations under the U.S. export control and trade sanctions laws and regulations could have a material adverse effect on our business.

The export of some of our satellite communication products, related technical information and services is subject to U.S. State Department, Commerce Department and Treasury Department regulations, including International Traffic in Arms Regulations, or ITAR, and Export Administration Regulations, or EAR. Under these laws and regulations, our non-U.S. employees, including employees of our headquarters in Israel, might be barred from accessing certain information of our U.S. subsidiaries unless appropriate licenses are obtained. In addition to the U.S. export control laws and regulations applicable to us, some of our subcontractors and vendors may also be subject to U.S. export control laws and regulations and required to flow down requirements and restrictions imposed on products and services we purchase from them. If we do not maintain our existing authorizations or obtain necessary future authorizations under the export control laws and regulations of the U.S., including potential requirements related to entering into technical assistance agreements to disclose technical data or provide services to non-U.S. persons, we may be unable to export technical information or equipment to non-U.S. persons and companies, including to our own non-U.S. employees, as may be required to fulfill contracts we may enter into. We may also be subjected to export control compliance audits in the future that may uncover improper or illegal activities that would subject us to material remediation costs, civil and criminal fines, penalties or an injunction.

In addition, to participate in classified U.S. government programs, we may have to obtain security clearances from the DoD for one or more of our subsidiaries that want to participate. Such clearance may require us to enter into a proxy agreement or another similar arrangement with the U.S. government, which would limit our ability to control the operations of the subsidiary and which may impose substantial administrative requirements in order for us to comply. Further, if we materially violate the terms of any proxy agreement, the subsidiary holding the security clearance may be suspended or debarred from performing any government contracts, whether classified or unclassified. If we fail to maintain or obtain the necessary authorizations under the U.S. export control and national security laws and regulations, we may not be able to realize our market focus and our business could be materially adversely affected.

We are dependent on contracts with governments around the world for a significant portion of our revenue. These contracts may expose us to additional business risks and compliance obligations.

We have focused on expanding our business to include contracts with or for various governments and governmental agencies around the world, including the Peruvian and Colombian governments and U.S. federal, state, and local government agencies through contractors or systems integrators. Such contracts account for a significant portion of our revenues. Our contracts with international governments generally contain unfavorable termination provisions. Governmental customers generally may unilaterally suspend us from receiving new contracts pending resolution of alleged violations of procurement laws or regulations and terminate existing contracts and audit our contract-related costs. If a termination right is exercised by a governmental customer, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Additionally, the business we generate from government contracts may be materially adversely affected if:

our reputation or relationship with government agencies is impaired;

we are suspended or otherwise prohibited from contracting with a domestic or foreign government or any significant law enforcement agency;

levels of government expenditures and authorizations for law enforcement and security related programs decrease or shift to program in areas where we do not provide products and services;

we are prevented from entering into new government contracts or extending existing government contracts based on violations or suspected violations of laws or regulations, including those related to procurement;

we are not granted security clearances that are required to sell our products to domestic or foreign governments or such security clearances are deactivated;

there is a change in government procurement procedures or conditions of remuneration; or

there is a change in the political climate that adversely affects our existing or prospective relationships.

We depend on our main facility in Israel and are susceptible to any event that could adversely affect its condition or the condition of our other facilities.

A material portion of our laboratory capacity, our principal offices and principal research and development facilities for the principal part of our business are concentrated in a single location in Israel. We also have significant facilities for research and development and manufacturing of components for our low-profile antennas at a single location in Bulgaria as well as a research and development center in Moldova and offices, research and development, engineering and manufacturing facilities in California and in Singapore. Fire, natural disaster or any other cause of material disruption in our operations in any of these locations could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results.

We are dependent upon a limited number of suppliers for key components that are incorporated in our products, including those used to build our hub systems and VSATs, and may be significantly harmed if we are unable to obtain such components on favorable terms or on a timely basis. We are also dependent upon a limited number of suppliers of space segment, or transponder capacity and may be significantly harmed if we are unable to obtain the space segment for the provision of services on favorable terms or on a timely basis.

Several of the components required to build our products are manufactured by a limited number of suppliers. Although we have managed to solve the difficulties we experienced in the past with our suppliers with respect to availability of components, we cannot assure the continued availability of key components or our ability to forecast our component requirements sufficiently in advance. Although we are working with our suppliers to obtain components for our products on favorable terms there is no assurance that our efforts will be successful. If we are unable to obtain the necessary volume of components at sufficiently favorable terms or prices, we may be unable to produce our products at competitive prices. As a result, sales of our products may be lower than expected, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results. In addition, our suppliers are not always able to meet our requested lead times. If we are unable to satisfy customers’ needs on time, we could lose their business.

Certain of the significant components required to build almost all of our VSAT units, our hub systems as well as our other products are manufactured by a sole manufacturer. Such dependency exposes us to certain risks in connection with the availability of the respective component, which could include failure in meeting time tables and production requirements and may expose us to material price increases which may affect our ability to provide competitive prices or require us to re-design some of our products. We estimate that the replacement of sole manufacturers would, if necessary, take a substantial period of time.

There are a limited number of suppliers of satellite transponder capacity and a limited amount of space segment available (although the space segment availability is increasing and prices are generally decreasing). We are dependent on these suppliers for our provision of services mainly in Peru, Colombia and North America. While we do secure long-term agreements with our satellite transponder providers, we cannot assure the continuous availability of space segment, the pricing upon renewals of space segment and the continuous availability and coverage in the regions where we supply services. If we are unable to secure contracts with satellite transponder providers with reliable service at competitive prices, our services business could be adversely affected. We rely on satellite capacity providers, who commit to certain key performance indicators, or KPIs, in connection with the operation of our managed networks and services. Such KPIs are limited and do not always reflect the same level of KPIs guaranteed by us towards our customers.

We would be adversely affected if we are unable to attract and retain key personnel

Our success depends in part on key management, sales, marketing and development personnel and our continuing ability to attract and retain highly qualified personnel, including with respect to our acquired companies. There is competition for the services of such personnel. The loss of the services of senior management and key personnel, and the failure to attract highly qualified personnel in the future, may have a negative impact on our business. Moreover, our competitors may hire and gain access to the expertise of our former employees or our former employees may compete with us. There is no assurance that former employees will not compete with us or that we will be able to find replacements for departing key employees in the future.

If demand for our mobility applications for air, land and sea, VSATs and other products declines or if we are unable to develop products to meet demand, our business could be adversely affected.

Our low-profile in-motion antenna systems and a portion of our SSPA product line are intended for mobility applications for air, land and sea. If the demand for such products, our VSATs or other products declines, or if we are unable to develop products that are competitive in technology and pricing, we may not be able to realize our market focus and our satellite communication on the move business and other businesses could be materially adversely affected.

We may be unable to adequately protect our proprietary rights, which may limit our ability to compete effectively.

Our business is based mainly on our proprietary technology and related products and services. We establish and protect proprietary rights and technology used in our products by the use of patents, trade secrets, copyrights and trademarks. We also utilize non-disclosure and intellectual property assignment agreements. Because of the rapid technological changes and innovation that characterize the network communications industry, our success will depend in large part on our ability to protect and defend our intellectual property rights. Our actions to protect our proprietary rights in our VSATs, hubs, SSPAs and antennas technology as well as other products may be insufficient to protect our intellectual property rights and prevent others from developing products similar to our products. In addition, the laws of many foreign countries do not protect our intellectual property rights to the same extent as the laws of the U.S., or we may have failed to enter into non-disclosure and intellectual property assignment agreements with certain persons, or the agreements we entered into may be found inadequate. If we are unable to protect our intellectual property, our ability to operate our business and generate expected revenues may be harmed.

Failure to protect against cyber-attacks, natural disasters or terrorist attacks, and failures of our information technology systems, infrastructure and data could have an adverse effect on our business.

Failure to protect against cyber-attacks, unauthorized access or network security breaches, inclement weather, natural or man-made disasters, earthquakes, explosions, terrorist attacks, acts of war, floods, fires, computer viruses, power loss, telecommunications or equipment failures, transportation interruptions, accidents or other disruptive events or attempts to harm our systems may cause equipment failures or disrupt our systems and operations. In particular, both unsuccessful and successful cyber-attacks on companies have increased in frequency, scope and potential harm in recent years. Criminal hackers may develop and deploy viruses, worms and other malicious software programs, some of which may be specifically designed to attack our products, systems, computers or networks. Additionally, external parties may induce our employees or users of our products to disclose sensitive information in order to gain access to our data or our customers' data. We have been subject, and will likely continue to be subject, to attempts to breach the security of our networks and Information Technology, or IT, infrastructure through cyber-attack, malware, computer viruses, social engineering, email phishing attacks and other means of unauthorized access. While none of these actual or attempted breaches has had a material impact on our operations or financial condition, we cannot provide any assurance that our business operations will not be negatively materially affected by such breaches in the future.

Any disruption, disabling, or attack affecting our equipment and systems and the hardware, software and infrastructure on which we rely could result in a security or privacy breach. Whether such event is physical human error or malfeasance (whether accidental, fraudulent or intentional) or electronic in nature (such as malware, virus, or other malicious code) such an event could result in our inability to operate our facilities or continually operate our networks, which, even if the event is for a limited period of time, may result in significant expenses and/or loss of market share to other competitors in the market for tele-management products and invoice management solutions. While we maintain insurance coverage for some of these events, which could offset some of the losses, the potential liabilities associated with these events could exceed the insurance coverage we maintain. Any of the events described above could result in litigation and potential liability or fines for us, a material impact to our operations or financial condition, damage our brand and reputation or otherwise harm our business.

Regulators globally are also imposing greater monetary fines for privacy violations. For example, in 2016, the European Union adopted new regulations governing data practices and privacy called the General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, which became effective in May 2018. The law establishes new requirements regarding the handling of personal data, and non-compliance with the GDPR may result in monetary penalties of up to 4% of worldwide revenue. In addition, violation of applicable local privacy laws may entail criminal consequences. The GDPR and other changes in laws or regulations associated with the enhanced protection of certain types of sensitive data, such as healthcare data or other personal information, could greatly increase our cost of providing our products and services or even prevent us from offering certain services in jurisdictions that we operate. Further, if we fail to comply with the GDPR and other privacy regulations applicable to us we may incur high monetary and other penalties, which may have significant adverse effect on our business.

A decrease in the selling prices of our products and services could materially harm our business.

The average selling prices of communications products historically decline over product life cycles. In particular, we expect the average selling prices of our products to decline as a result of competitive pricing pressures and customers who negotiate discounts based on large unit volumes. A decrease in the selling prices of our products and services could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Trends and factors affecting the telecommunications industry are beyond our control and may result in reduced demand and pricing pressure on our products.

We operate in the telecommunication industry and are influenced by trends of that industry, which are beyond our control and may affect our operations. These trends include:

adverse changes in the public and private equity and debt markets and our ability, as well as the ability of our customers and suppliers, to obtain financing or to fund working capital and capital expenditures;

adverse changes in the credit ratings of our customers and suppliers;

adverse changes in the market conditions in our industry and the specific markets for our products;

access to, and the actual size and timing of, capital expenditures by our customers;

inventory practices, including the timing of product and service deployment, of our customers;

the amount of network capacity and the network capacity utilization rates of our customers, and the amount of sharing and/or acquisition of new and/or existing network capacity by our customers;

the overall trend toward industry consolidation among our customers, competitors, and suppliers;

price reductions by our direct competitors and by competing technologies including, for example, the introduction of HTS satellite systems by our direct competitors which could significantly drive down market prices or limit the availability of satellite capacity for use with our VSAT systems;

conditions in the broader market for communications products, including data networking products and computerized information access equipment and services;

governmental regulation or intervention affecting communications or data networking;

monetary instability in the countries where we operate; and

the effects of war and acts of terrorism, such as disruptions in general global economic activity, changes in logistics and security arrangements and reduced customer demand for our products and services.

These trends and factors may reduce the demand for our products and services or require us to increase our research and development expenses and may harm our financial results.

Our international sales and business expose us to changes in foreign regulations and tariffs, tax exposures, political instability and other risks inherent to international business, any of which could adversely affect our operations.

We sell and distribute our products and provide our services internationally, particularly in the United States, Latin America, Asia, Asia Pacific, Africa, Europe and CIS (Russian Commonwealth). We also operate our business and manufacture our products internationally. A component of our strategy is to continue and expand in international markets. Our operations can be limited or disrupted by various factors known to affect international trade. These factors include the following:

imposition of governmental controls, regulations and taxation which might include a government’s decision to raise import tariffs or license fees in countries in which we do business;

government regulations that may prevent us from choosing our business partners or restrict our activities;

the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or the FCPA, and applicable anti-corruption laws in other jurisdictions, which include anti-bribery provisions. Our policies mandate compliance with these laws. Nevertheless, we may not always be protected in cases of violation of the FCPA or other applicable anti-corruption laws by our employees or third-parties acting on our behalf. A violation of anti-corruption laws by our employees or third-parties during the performance of their obligations for us may have a material adverse effect on our reputation, operating results and financial condition;

tax exposures in various jurisdictions relating to our activities throughout the world;

political and/or economic instability in countries in which we do or desire to do business or where we operate or manufacture our products. Such unexpected changes could have an adverse effect on the gross margin of some of our projects. This includes similar risks from potential or current political and economic instability as well as volatility of foreign currencies in countries such as Colombia, Brazil, Venezuela and certain countries in East Asia;

difficulties in staffing and managing foreign operations that might mandate employing staff in various countries to manage foreign operations. This requirement could have an adverse effect on the profitability of certain projects;

longer payment cycles and difficulties in collecting accounts receivable;

foreign exchange risks due to fluctuations in local currencies relative to the dollar; and

relevant zoning ordinances that may restrict the installation of satellite antennas and might also reduce market demand for our service. Additionally, authorities may increase regulation regarding the potential radiation hazard posed by transmitting earth station satellite antennas’ emissions of radio frequency energy that may negatively impact our business plan and revenues.

Any decline in commercial business in any country may have an adverse effect on our business as these trends often lead to a decline in technology purchases or upgrades by private companies. We expect that in difficult economic periods, countries in which we do business will find it more difficult to raise financing from investors for the further development of the telecommunications industry and private companies will find it more difficult to finance the purchase or upgrade of our technology. Any such changes could adversely affect our business in these and other countries.

If we fail to meet the covenants in our loan agreements with banks, or otherwise breach the terms of our credit agreements, the banks may accelerate payment of outstanding loans and our business could be seriously harmed.

Our loan agreements and credit and guarantee facilities with banks contain covenants regarding our maintenance of certain financial ratios. The covenants contained in our credit facilities triggers acceleration of payments or restrict, among other things, our ability to pledge our assets, dispose of assets, give guarantees or restrict certain changes in the ownership of our shares. Our ability to continue to comply with these and other obligations depends in part on the future performance of our business. We cannot assure you that we shall be able to continue to comply with the covenants included in our agreements with the banks. If we fail to comply, we shall be required to renegotiate the terms of our credit facilities with the banks. We cannot assure you that we shall be able to reach an agreement with the banks or that such agreements will be on favorable terms to us. Our ability to restructure or refinance our credit facilities depends on the condition of the capital markets and our financial condition. Any refinancing of our existing credit facilities could be at higher interest rates and may require us to comply with different covenants, which could restrict our business operations.

We may face difficulties in obtaining regulatory approvals for our telecommunication services and products, which could adversely affect our operations.

Certain of our telecommunication operations require licenses and approvals by the Israeli Ministry of Communication, the Federal Communications Commission in the U.S., or FCC, and by regulatory bodies in other countries. In Israel and the U.S., the operation of satellite earth station facilities and VSAT systems such as ours are prohibited except under licenses issued by the Israeli Ministry of Communication and the FCC in the U.S. Our airborne products require licenses and approvals by the Federal Aviation Agency, or FAA, which are obtained by our customers or our Wavestream subsidiary. We must also obtain approval of the regulatory authority in each country in which we propose to provide network services or operate VSATs. The approval process in Latin America and elsewhere can often take a substantial amount of time and require substantial resources.

In addition, any licenses and approvals that are granted may be subject to conditions that may restrict our activities or otherwise adversely affect our operations. Also, after obtaining the required licenses and approvals, the regulating agencies may, at any time, impose additional requirements on our operations. Failure to obtain the required license where such license is required may result in high monetary and other penalties. We cannot assure you that we will be able to comply with any new requirements or conditions imposed by such regulating agencies on a timely or economically efficient basis.

Our products are also subject to requirements to obtain certification of compliance with local regulatory standards. Delays in receiving such certification could also adversely affect our operations.

Currency exchange rates and fluctuations of currency exchange rates may adversely affect our results of operations, liabilities, and assets.

Since we operate in several countries, we are impacted by currency exchange rates and fluctuations of various currencies. Although partially mitigated by our hedging activities, we are impacted by currency exchange rates and fluctuations thereof in a number of ways, including the following:

A significant portion of our expenses, principally salaries and related personnel expenses, are incurred in NIS, and to a lesser extent, other non-U.S. dollar currencies, whereas the currency we use to report our financial results is the U.S. dollar and a significant portion of our revenue is generated in U.S. dollars. A significant strengthening of the NIS against the U.S. dollar can considerably increase the U.S. dollar value of our expenses in Israel and our results of operations may be adversely affected;

A portion of our international sales is denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, including but not limited to the Euro, Colombian Peso, Australian Dollar, Brazilian Real, Peruvian Sol, Russian Ruble, Malaysian Ringgit and the Mexican Peso, therefore we are exposed to the risk of devaluation of such currencies relative to the dollar which could have a negative impact on our revenues;

We have assets and liabilities that are denominated in non-U.S. dollar currencies. Therefore, significant fluctuation in these other currencies could have significant effect on our results; and

A portion of our U.S. dollar revenues are derived from customers operating in local currencies which are different from the U.S. dollar. Therefore, devaluation in the local currencies of our customers relative to the U.S. dollar could cause our customers to cancel or decrease orders or delay payment.

We are also subject to other foreign currency risks including repatriation restrictions in certain countries, particularly in Latin America. As noted above, from time to time, we enter into hedging transactions to attempt to limit the impact of foreign currency fluctuations. However, the protection provided by such hedging transactions may be partial and leave certain exchange rate-related losses and risks uncovered. Therefore, our business and profitability may be harmed by such exchange rate fluctuations.

The transfer and use of some of our technology and its production outside of Israel is limited because of the research and development grants we received from the Israeli government to develop such technology.

Our research and development efforts associated with the development of certain of our products have been partially financed through grants from the Innovation Authority, formerly the Office of the Chief Scientist of the Israeli Ministry of Economy. We are subject to certain restrictions under the terms of these grants. Specifically, manufacturing outside Israel, of any product incorporating technology developed with the funding provided by these grants is limited to a certain extent as set forth in the relevant program. In addition, the technology developed with the funding provided by these grants (which is embodied in our products) may not be transferred, without appropriate governmental approvals. Such approvals, if granted, may involve increased royalty payments to the Innovation Authority for royalty-bearing programs. These restrictions do not apply to the sale or export from Israel of our products developed with this technology.

We may not be compliant, currently or in the future, with the requirements for Benefited Enterprise status and may be denied benefits. Israeli government programs and tax benefits may be terminated or reduced in the future.

We participate in programs of the Innovation Authority and the Israel Investment Center, for which we receive tax and other benefits as well as funding for the development of technologies and products. Our company chose 2011 as the year of election in order to receive tax benefits as a “Benefited Enterprise”. Our period of benefits as a Benefitted Enterprise under the 2011 election will expire in 2023. If we fail to comply with the conditions applicable to this status under the Investment Law, we may be required to pay additional taxes and penalties or make refunds and may be denied future benefits. From time to time, the government of Israel has discussed reducing or eliminating the benefits available under such programs, and therefore these benefits may not be available in the future at current levels or at all.

We may be subject to claims by third parties alleging that we infringe intellectual property owned by them. We may be required to commence litigation to protect our intellectual property rights. Any intellectual property litigation may continue for an extended period and may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results.

There are numerous patents, both pending and issued, in the network communications industry. We may unknowingly infringe on a patent. We may from time to time be notified of claims that we are infringing on patents, copyrights or other intellectual property rights owned by third parties. While we do not believe that we have infringed in the past or are infringing at present on any intellectual property rights of third parties, we cannot assure you that we will not be subject to such claims or that damages for any such claim will not be awarded against us by a court.

In addition, we may be required to commence litigation to protect our intellectual property rights and trade secrets, to determine the validity and scope of the proprietary rights of others or to defend against third‑party claims of invalidity or infringement. An adverse result of any litigation could force us to pay substantial damages, stop designing, manufacturing, using or selling related products, spend significant resources to develop alternative technologies, discontinue using certain processes or obtain licenses. In addition, we may not be able to develop alternative technology, and we may not be able to find appropriate licenses on reasonably satisfactory terms. Any such litigation could result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results.

Regulations related to conflict minerals may cause us to incur additional expenses and could limit the supply and increase the costs of certain metals used in the manufacturing of our solutions.

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act imposes disclosure requirements regarding the use in components of our products of “conflict minerals” mined from the Democratic Republic of Congo and adjoining countries, whether the components of our products are manufactured by us or third parties. These requirements could affect the pricing, sourcing and availability of minerals used in the manufacture of components we use in our products. Although the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, has provided guidance with respect to a portion of the conflict mineral filing requirements that may somewhat reduce our reporting practices, there are costs associated with complying with the disclosure requirements and customer requests, such as costs related to our due diligence to determine the source of any conflict minerals used in our products. We may face difficulties in satisfying customers who may require that all of the components of our products are certified as conflict mineral free or free of numerous other hazardous materials.

Potential product liability claims relating to our products could have a material adverse effect on our business.

We may be subject to product liability claims relating to the products we sell. Potential product liability claims could include, among others, claims for exposure to electromagnetic radiation from the antennas we provide. We endeavor to include in our agreements with our business customers provisions designed to limit our exposure to potential claims. We also maintain a product liability insurance policy. However, our contractual limitation of liability may be rejected or limited in certain jurisdictions and our insurance may not cover all relevant claims or may not provide sufficient coverage. To date, we have not been subject to any material product liability claim. Our business, financial condition and operating results could be materially adversely affected if costs resulting from future claims are not covered by our insurance or exceed our coverage.

Environmental laws and regulations may subject us to significant liability.

Our operations are subject to various Israeli, U.S. federal, state and local as well as certain other foreign environmental laws and regulations within the countries in which we operate relating to the discharge, storage, treatment, handling, disposal and remediation of certain materials, substances and wastes used in our operations.

New laws and regulations, stricter enforcement of existing laws and regulations, the discovery of previously unknown contamination or the imposition of new clean-up requirements may require us to incur a significant amount of additional costs in the future and could decrease the amount of cash flow available to us for other purposes, including capital expenditures, research and development and other investments and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and future prospects. We may identify deficiencies in our compliance with local legislation within countries in which we operate. Failure to comply with such legislation could result in sanctions by regulatory authorities and could adversely affect our operating results. Examples of these laws and regulations include the E.U. Restriction on the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive, and the E.U. Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive.

Risks Related to Ownership of Our Ordinary Shares

Our share price has been highly volatile and may continue to be volatile and decline.

The trading price of our shares has fluctuated widely in the past and may continue to do so in the future as a result of a number of factors, many of which are outside our control. In addition, the stock market has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have affected the market prices of many technology companies, particularly telecommunication and internet‑related companies, and that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of these companies. These broad market fluctuations could adversely affect the market price of our shares. In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a particular company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been brought against that company. Securities class action litigation against us could result in substantial costs and a diversion of our management’s attention and resources.

Our operating results may vary significantly from quarter to quarter and from year to year and these quarterly and yearly variations in operating results, as well as other factors, may contribute to the volatility of the market price of our shares.

Our operating results have and may continue to vary significantly from quarter to quarter. The causes of fluctuations include, among other things:

the timing, size and composition of requests for proposals or orders from customers;

the timing of introducing new products and product enhancements by us and the level of their market acceptance;

the mix of products and services we offer;

the level of our expenses; and

the changes in the competitive environment in which we operate.

The quarterly variation of our operating results, may, in turn, create volatility in the market price for our shares. Other factors that may contribute to wide fluctuations in our market price, many of which are beyond our control, include, but are not limited to:

economic instability;

announcements of technological innovations;

customer orders or new products or contracts;

competitors’ positions in the market;

changes in financial estimates by securities analysts;

conditions and trends in the VSAT and other technology industries relevant to our businesses;

our earnings releases and the earnings releases of our competitors; and

the general state of the securities markets (with particular emphasis on the technology and Israeli sectors thereof).

In addition to the volatility of the market price of our shares, the stock market in general and the market for technology companies in particular has been highly volatile and at times thinly traded. Investors may not be able to resell their shares during and following periods of volatility.

We may in the future be classified as a passive foreign investment company, or PFIC, which would subject our U.S. investors to adverse tax rules.

U.S. holders of our ordinary shares may face income tax risks. There is a risk that we will be treated as a “passive foreign investment company”. Our treatment as a PFIC could result in a reduction in the after-tax return to the holders of our ordinary shares and would likely cause a reduction in the value of such shares. A foreign corporation will be treated as a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes if either (1) at least 75% of its gross income for any taxable year consists of certain types of “passive income,” or (2) at least 50% of the average value of the corporation’s gross assets produce, or are held for the production of, such types of “passive income.” For purposes of these tests, “passive income” includes dividends, interest, gains from the sale or exchange of investment property and rents and royalties other than rents and royalties that are received from unrelated parties in connection with the active conduct of a trade or business. For purposes of these tests, income derived from the performance of services does not constitute “passive income”. If we are treated as a PFIC, U.S. Holders of shares (or rights) would be subject to a special adverse U.S. federal income tax regime with respect to the income derived by us, the distributions they receive from us, and the gain, if any, they derive from the sale or other disposition of their ordinary shares (or rights). In particular, any dividends paid by us, if any, would not be treated as “qualified dividend income” eligible for preferential tax rates in the hands of non-corporate U.S. shareholders. We believe that we were not a PFIC for the 2018 taxable year. However, since PFIC status depends upon the composition of our income and the market value of our assets from time to time, there can be no assurance that we will not become a PFIC in any future taxable year. U.S. Holders should carefully read Item 10E. “Additional Information – Taxation” for a more complete discussion of the U.S. federal income tax risks related to owning and disposing of our ordinary shares (or rights).

Future sales of our ordinary shares and the future exercise of options may cause the market price of our ordinary shares to decline and may result in a substantial dilution.

We cannot predict what effect, if any, future sales of our ordinary shares by the private equity firm, FIMI Opportunity Funds, or FIMI Funds and our other significant shareholders, or the availability for future sale of our ordinary shares, including shares issuable upon the exercise of our options, will have on the market price of our ordinary shares. Sales of substantial amounts of our ordinary shares in the public market by our company or our significant shareholders, or the perception that such sales could occur, could adversely affect the market price of our ordinary shares and may make it more difficult for you to sell your ordinary shares at a time and price you deem appropriate.

Certain of our shareholders beneficially own a substantial percentage of our ordinary shares.

FIMI, our controlling shareholder, holds approximately 34.1% of our outstanding ordinary shares and each of our other three major shareholders hold between 5.3% and 9.7% of our outstanding ordinary shares. This concentration of ownership of our ordinary shares could delay or prevent mergers, tender offers, or other purchases of our ordinary shares that might otherwise give our shareholders the opportunity to realize a premium over the then-prevailing market price for our ordinary shares. This concentration could also accelerate these same transactions in lieu of others depriving shareholders of opportunities. This concentration of ownership may also cause a decrease in the volume of trading or otherwise adversely affect our share price.

We recently announced that our board of directors expects to declare a cash dividend for the first time. No assurance can be given that we will be able to pay dividends in the future.

On the date of this Annual Report on Form 20-F our board of directors declared a cash dividend in the amount of $0.45 per share (approximately $25 million in the aggregate), payable on April 11, 2019 to shareholders of record on March 28, 2019.

This dividend will be the first time that we will pay a dividend, but we have not adopted a general policy regarding the distribution of dividends and make no statements as to the distribution of dividends in the foreseeable future. The terms of some of our financing arrangements require us to meet certain financial covenants regarding minimum cash balance and require prior approval of certain banks which extended us loans. Any future dividend distributions are subject to the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on various factors, including our operating results, future earnings, capital requirements, financial condition, and tax implications of dividend distributions on our income, future prospects and any other factors deemed relevant by our board of directors. The distribution of dividends is also limited by Israeli law, which permits the distribution of dividends by an Israeli corporation only out of its retained earnings as defined in Israel’s Companies Law, 5759-1999, or the Companies Law, provided that there is no reasonable concern that such payment will cause us to fail to meet our current and expected liabilities as they become due, or otherwise with the court’s permission. You should not invest in our company if you seek a secured dividend income from your investment. For information regarding taxation of dividend, see ITEM 10.E – “Additional Information - Taxation - Israeli Tax Consequences of Holding Our Stock - Dividends”.

Our ordinary shares are traded on more than one market and this may result in price variations.

Our ordinary shares are traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market and on the TASE. Trading in our ordinary shares on these markets is made in different currencies (U.S. dollars on the NASDAQ Global Select Market, and NIS on the TASE), and at different times (resulting from different time zones, different trading days and different public holidays in the U.S. and Israel). Consequently, the trading prices of our ordinary shares on these two markets often differ. Any decrease in the trading price of our ordinary shares on one of these markets could cause a decrease in the trading price of our ordinary shares on the other market.

If we are unable to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the reliability of our financial statements may be questioned and our share price may suffer.

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 imposes certain duties on us and on our executives and directors. To comply with this statute, we are required to document and test our internal control over financial reporting, and our independent registered public accounting firm must issue an attestation report on our internal control procedures, and our management is required to assess and issue a report concerning our internal control over financial reporting. Our efforts to comply with these requirements have resulted in increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management time and attention, and we expect these efforts to require the continued commitment of significant resources. We may identify material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in our assessments of our internal controls over financial reporting. Failure to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting could result in investigation or sanctions by regulatory authorities, and could adversely affect our operating results, investor confidence in our reported financial information and the market price of our ordinary shares.

Risks Related to Our Location in Israel

Political and economic conditions in Israel may limit our ability to produce and sell our products. This could have a material adverse effect on our operations and business condition, harm our results of operations and adversely affect our share price.

We are incorporated under the laws of the State of Israel, where we also maintain our headquarters and most of our manufacturing and research and development facilities. As a result, political, economic and military conditions affecting Israel directly influence us. Any major hostilities involving Israel, a full or partial mobilization of the reserve forces of the Israeli army, the interruption or curtailment of trade or air traffic between Israel and its trading partners, or a significant downturn in the economic or financial condition of Israel could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Conflicts in North Africa and the Middle East, including in Egypt and Syria which countries border Israel, have resulted in continued political uncertainty and violence in the region. Efforts to improve Israel’s relationship with the Palestinian Authority have failed to result in a permanent solution, and there have been numerous periods of hostility in recent years. In addition, relations between Israel and Iran continue to be seriously strained, especially with regard to Iran’s nuclear program. Such instability may affect the economy, could negatively affect business conditions and, therefore, could adversely affect our operations. To date, these matters have not had any material effect on our business and results of operations; however, the regional security situation and worldwide perceptions of it are outside our control and there can be no assurance that these matters will not negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations in the future.

Furthermore, there are a number of countries, primarily in the Middle East, as well as Malaysia and Indonesia that restrict business with Israel or Israeli companies, and we are precluded from marketing our products to these countries directly from Israel. Restrictive laws or policies directed towards Israel or Israeli businesses may have an adverse impact on our operations, our financial results or the expansion of our business. In addition, there have been increased efforts by activists to cause companies and consumers to boycott Israeli goods. Such actions, particularly if they become more widespread, may adversely impact our ability to sell our products.

Your rights and responsibilities as a shareholder are governed by Israeli law and differ in some respects from those under Delaware law.

Because we are an Israeli company, the rights and responsibilities of our shareholders are governed by our Articles of Association and by Israeli law. These rights and responsibilities differ in some respects from the rights and responsibilities of shareholders in a Delaware corporation. In particular, a shareholder of an Israeli company has a duty to act in good faith towards the company and other shareholders and to refrain from abusing his, her or its power in the company, including, among other things, in voting at the general meeting of shareholders on certain matters. Israeli law provides that these duties are applicable to shareholder votes on, among other things, amendments to a company’s articles of association, increases in a company’s authorized share capital, mergers and interested party transactions requiring shareholder approval. In addition, a shareholder who knows that it possesses the power to determine the outcome of a shareholders’ vote or to appoint or prevent the appointment of a director or executive officer in the company has a duty of fairness towards the company. However, Israeli law does not define the substance of this duty of fairness. There is little case law available to assist in understanding the implications of these provisions that govern shareholder behavior.

As a foreign private issuer whose shares are listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market, we follow certain home country corporate governance practices instead of certain NASDAQ requirements, which may not afford shareholders with the same protections that shareholders of domestic companies have.

As a foreign private issuer whose shares are listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market, we are permitted to follow certain home country corporate governance practices instead of certain requirements of The NASDAQ Marketplace Rules. We follow Israeli law and practice instead of The NASDAQ Marketplace Rules with respect to the director nominations process and the requirement to obtain shareholder approval for the establishment or material amendment of certain equity-based compensation plans and arrangements. As a foreign private issuer listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market, we may also follow home country practice with regard to, among other things, the requirement to obtain shareholder approval for certain dilutive events (such as for an issuance that will result in a change of control of the company, certain transactions other than a public offering involving issuances of a 20% or more interest in the company and certain acquisitions of the stock or assets of another company). A foreign private issuer that elects to follow a home country practice instead of NASDAQ requirements must submit to NASDAQ in advance a written statement from an independent counsel in such issuer’s home country certifying that the issuer’s practices are not prohibited by the home country’s laws. In addition, a foreign private issuer must disclose in its annual reports filed with the SEC each such requirement that it does not follow and describe the home country practice followed by the issuer instead of any such requirement. Accordingly, our shareholders may not be afforded the same protection as provided under NASDAQ’s corporate governance rules.

If we are unable to comply with Israel’s enhanced export control regulations our ability to export our products from Israel could be negatively impacted.

Our export of military products and related technical information is also subject to enhanced Israeli Ministry of Defense regulations regarding defense export controls and the export of “dual use” items (items that are typically sold in the commercial market but that may also be used in the defense market). Some of our products may include features, such as encryption, that require an export license. Some of our products are exempted from Israeli Ministry of Defense export control. The Israeli Ministry of Defense may change the classification of our existing commercial products or may determine that new products we develop are not exempt from Israeli Ministry of Defense export control. This would place such products subject to the Israeli Ministry of Defense export control regulations as military products or “dual use” items, which would impose on our sales process stringent constraints in relation to each sale transaction and limit our markets. If we do not maintain our existing authorizations and exemption or obtain necessary future authorizations and exemptions under the export control laws and regulations of Israel, including export licenses for the sale of our equipment and the transfer of technical information, we may be unable to export technical information or equipment outside of Israel, we may not be able to realize our market focus and our business could be materially adversely affected.

Our results of operations may be negatively affected by the obligation of our personnel to perform military service.

A significant number of our employees in Israel are obligated to perform annual reserve duty in the Israeli Defense Forces and may be called for active duty under emergency circumstances at any time. If a military conflict or war arises, these individuals could be required to serve in the military for extended periods of time. Our operations could be disrupted by a significant absence of one or more of our key employees or a significant number of other employees due to military service. Any disruption in our operations could adversely affect our business.

You may not be able to enforce civil liabilities in the U.S. against our officers and directors.

We are incorporated in Israel. All of our directors and executive officers reside outside the U.S., and a significant portion of our assets and the personal assets of most of our directors and executive officers are located outside the U.S. Therefore, it may be difficult to effect service of process upon any of these persons within the U.S. In addition, a judgment obtained in the U.S. against us, or against such individuals, including but not limited to judgments based on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws, may not be collectible within the U.S.

Additionally, it may be difficult for an investor or any other person or entity, to assert U.S. securities law claims in original actions instituted in Israel. Israeli courts may refuse to hear a claim based on a violation of U.S. securities laws on the ground that Israel is not the most appropriate forum in which to bring such a claim. Even if an Israeli court agrees to hear a claim, it may determine that Israeli law is applicable to the claim. Certain matters of procedures will also be governed by Israeli law.

Israeli law may delay, prevent or make difficult a merger with or an acquisition of us, which could prevent a change of control and therefore depress the price of our shares.

Provisions of Israeli law may delay, prevent or make undesirable a merger or an acquisition of all or a significant portion of our shares or assets. Israeli corporate law regulates acquisitions of shares through tender offers and mergers, requires special approvals for transactions involving significant shareholders and regulates other matters that may be relevant to these types of transactions. These provisions of Israeli law could have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control and may make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us, even if doing so would be beneficial to our shareholders. These provisions may limit the price that investors may be willing to pay in the future for our ordinary shares. Furthermore, Israeli tax considerations may make potential transactions undesirable to us or to some of our shareholders.

Under current Israeli law, U.S. law and the laws of other jurisdictions, we may not be able to enforce covenants not to compete and therefore may be unable to prevent our competitors from benefiting from the expertise of some of our former employees.

We currently generally include non-competition clauses in the employment agreements of our employees in certain regions. The provisions of such clauses prohibit our employees, if they cease working for us, from directly competing with us or working for our competitors for a certain period of time. Israeli labor courts have required employers, seeking to enforce non-compete undertakings against former employees, to demonstrate that the competitive activities of the former employee will cause harm to one of a limited number of material interests of the employer recognized by the courts (for example, the confidentiality of certain commercial information or a company’s intellectual property). In the event that any of our employees chooses to leave and work for one of our competitors, we may be unable to prevent our competitors from benefiting from the expertise of our former employee obtained from us, if we cannot demonstrate to the court that our interests as defined by case law would be harmed. Non-competition clauses may be unenforceable or enforceable only to a limited extent in other jurisdictions as well.

ITEM 4: INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY

A.	History and Development of the Company

We were incorporated in Israel in 1987 and are subject to the laws of the State of Israel. We are a public limited liability company under Israel’s Companies Law and operate under that law and associated legislation. Our corporate headquarters, executive offices and main research and development and engineering facilities, as well as facilities for some manufacturing and product assembly are located at Gilat House, 21 Yegia Kapayim Street, Kiryat Arye, Petah Tikva 4913020, Israel. Our telephone number is (972) 3-925-2000. Our address in the U.S. is c/o Wavestream Corporation at 545 West Terrace Drive, San Dimas, California 91773. Our web-site address is www.gilat.com. The information on our website is not incorporated by reference into this annual report.

We are a leading global provider of satellite-based broadband communications. We design and manufacture ground-based satellite communications equipment and provide comprehensive solutions and end-to-end services, powered by our innovative technology. Our portfolio comprises a cloud based satellite network platform, VSAT terminals, amplifiers, high-speed modems, high performance on-the-move antennas, high efficiency, high power SSPA amplifiers and BUCs. Our comprehensive solutions support multiple applications with a full portfolio of products to address key applications including broadband access, cellular backhaul, enterprise, in-flight connectivity, maritime, trains, defense and public safety, all while meeting stringent service level requirements. We also provide connectivity services, internet access and telephony to enterprise, government and residential customers over networks built using our own equipment and also over other networks that we install, mainly on the basis of BOT contracts. In these BOT projects, we build telecommunication infrastructure typically using fiber-optic and wireless technologies for broadband connectivity.

Our products are primarily sold to communication service providers and operators that use satellite communications for their customers and to government organizations and system integrators that use our technology. We are particularly active in the following market sectors: enterprise and government broadband applications; consumer broadband access; cellular connectivity; national telecommunication connectivity; defense and homeland security organization and mobility applications for air, land and sea. We provide services directly to end-users in various market sectors including in certain countries in Latin America and provide managed network services, such as in Australia and the U.S., over a satellite network owned by a third party. We have 20 sales and support offices worldwide, three network operations centers and five R&D centers.

We shipped our first generation VSAT in 1989 and since then we have been among the technological leaders in the satellite ground equipment industry. Our continuous investment in research and development has resulted in the development of new and industry‑leading products and our intellectual property portfolio includes 74 issued patents (61 U.S. and 13 foreign) relating to our VSAT and other systems as well as 18 issued patents (16 U.S. and 2 foreign) relating to our satellite communication on the move antenna solutions and 13 issued patents (3 U.S. and 10 foreign) for our high power SSPAs.

In December 2013, we sold our Spacenet subsidiary, a provider of managed network communications services utilizing satellite wireline and wireless networks and associated technology.

In 2018, 2017 and 2016, our property and equipment purchases related to our continuing operations amounted to approximately $10.8 million, $3.7 million, and $4.3 million respectively. These amounts do not include the reclassification of inventory to property and equipment and other non-cash purchases made during 2018, 2017 and 2016 in the approximate amounts of $2.3 million, $5.7 million, and $2.5 million, respectively.

B.	Business Overview

We are a leading provider ground-based satellite communications and other network communications solutions and services. We design and manufacture ground-based satellite networking communications equipment, which we sell to our customers either as network components (modems, BUCs, antennas) or as complete network solutions (which include hubs and related terminals and services) or turnkey projects. The equipment that we develop includes commercial VSAT systems, defense and homeland security satellite communications systems, SSPAs, BUCs, low-profile antennas, on-the-Move / on-the-Pause terminals and modems. Our equipment is used by satellite operators, service providers, telecommunications operators, system integrators, government and defense organizations, large corporations and enterprises. We sell and distribute our products and provide our services internationally, in Latin America, Asia, Asia Pacific, North America, Africa, Europe and CIS (Russian Commonwealth). In particular, we provide connectivity services, internet access and telephony, to enterprise, government and residential customers over our own networks, built using both our equipment and equipment purchased from other manufacturers in various technologies. We also provide NOC operations and hub services.

Prior to 2018, we operated in three business divisions: Commercial, Mobility and Services. Commencing in 2018, in order to more accurately reflect management’s focus, organizational alignment, our customer base and end markets, we operate in three business segments, as follows:

Fixed Networks provides advanced fixed broadband satellite communication networks, satellite communication systems and associated professional services and comprehensive turnkey solutions and fully managed satellite network services solutions. Our customers are service providers, satellite operators, MNOs, Telcos, and large enterprises, consumers and governments worldwide. In addition, it includes our network operation and managed satellite network services solutions activity in Peru and Colombia. We focus on HTS, opportunities worldwide, with focus on cellular backhaul, and are driving meaningful partnerships with satellite operators to leverage our technology and breadth of services to deploy and operate the ground-based satellite communication networks.

Mobility Solutions provides advanced on-the-move satellite communications equipment, systems, and solutions, including airborne, maritime and ground-mobile satellite systems and solutions. This segment provides solutions for land, sea and air connectivity, while placing major focus on the high-growth market of IFC, with our unique leading technology as well as defense and homeland security activities. Our product portfolio comprises of high-speed modems, high performance on-the-move antennas and high efficiency, high power SSPAs and BUC. Our customers are service providers, system integrators, defense and homeland security organizations, as well as other commercial entities worldwide.

Terrestrial Infrastructure Projects provides network infrastructure construction of the fiber and microwave network of FITEL in Peru.

We have retrospectively revised our segment information for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 to conform to the new business segments presentation.

The above changes in our reportable segments will have no effect on the goodwill assignment among the divisions.

In the year ended December 31, 2018, we derived approximately 54%, 37% and 9% of our revenues from our Fixed Networks, Mobility Solutions and Terrestrial Infrastructure Projects segments, respectively.

We have diversified revenue streams that result from both sales of products, which include construction of networks, and services. In the year ended December 31, 2018, approximately 65% of our revenues were derived from sales of products and 35% from services. During the same period, we derived 36%, 36%, 15% and 13% of our revenues from Latin America, North America, APAC and EMEA, respectively.

Industry Overview

There is a global demand for satellite-based communications solutions for a number of reasons. Primarily, satellite-based communication is still the only truly ubiquitous networking solution. Secondly, satellite communications are more readily available as compared to alternative terrestrial communications networks. Lastly, satellite communications solutions offer rapidly deployed secure broadband connectivity and broadband communications on the move.

A two-way broadband satellite communications solution is comprised of the following elements:

Communications satellite – Typically a satellite in geostationary orbit (synchronized with the earth’s orbit) with a fixed coverage of a portion of the earth (up to approximately one third).

Satellite communications ground station equipment – These are devices that have a combination of data communications and Radio Frequency, or RF elements designed to deliver data via communication satellites. Examples of ground station equipment are remote site terminals, such as VSATs, central hub station systems, modem, amplifiers, BUCs and antennas.

VSAT - which is comprised of the following elements:

Modem – This is the device that modulates the digital data into an analog RF signal for delivery to the upconverter, and demodulates the analog signals from the downconverter back into digital data. The modem, which is typically located indoors, performs data processing functions such as traffic management and prioritization and provides the digital interfaces (Ethernet port/s) for connecting to the user’s equipment (PC, switch, etc.).

Amplifiers and BUCs – These are the components that connect the ground station equipment with the antenna. The purpose of the amplifiers and BUCs is to amplify the power and convert the frequency of the transmitted RF signal.

Antenna – Antennas can vary quite significantly in size, power and complexity depending on the ground equipment they are connected to, and their application. For example, antennas connected to remote sites generally are in the range of one meter in diameter while those connected to the central hub system can be in the range of ten meters in diameter. Antennas used on moving platforms need to be compact and have a mechanically or electronically auto-pointing mechanism so that they can remain locked onto the satellite during motion.

Broadband satellite networks are comprised of ground stations at multiple locations that communicate through a satellite in geostationary orbit, providing continent-wide wireless connectivity. Satellite broadband networks are used to provide a variety of traffic types such as broadband data, video and voice. The value chain of satellite network services consists of the following four main elements:

Satellite operators provide satellite transponder capacity (a portion of the satellite’s bandwidth and power which is used to establish one or more communication channels) on satellites positioned in geostationary orbit above the equator. A typical satellite can cover a geographic area the size of the continental U.S. or larger. The satellite receives information from the ground station equipment, amplifies it and transmits it back to earth on a different frequency. Satellite operators sell the capacity in a variety of leasing agreements to their customers. Our technology is compatible with C‑band, Ku‑band and Ka‑band satellites including special extended C‑band and extended Ku‑band satellites. Some of the leading satellite operators are Intelsat, SES, Chinasat, Hispasat and Eutelsat.

Ground equipment providers manufacture network equipment for both satellite communications networks and broadcast markets. Satellite communications systems connect a large central earth station, called a hub, with multiple remote sites equipment, called VSATs (ranging from tens to thousands of sites), which communicate via satellite. We are a leading ground equipment provider for hubs, VSATs, high-power amplifiers and low-profile antennas for satellite communications on-the-move.

Communication service providers buy equipment from ground equipment providers, install and maintain such equipment, lease capacity from satellite operators and sell a full package of communication services to the end user.

End users are customers that use satellite communications equipment and services. Examples of end users range from enterprises, to government ministries and defense organizations, to residential consumers.

System integrators are companies that provide customized solutions to end users by integrating the necessary equipment and services. For example, defense organizations often work with specialized system integrators that integrate various components, such as power amplifiers and low profile antennas, into a satellite terminal.

Satellite broadband networks are typically systems deployed in a hub-and-spoke configuration, with remote locations connecting via satellite to a central hub station. Satellite communications networks have a diverse range of uses and applications, and provide communication services as a stand‑alone, alternative, or complementary service to terrestrial networks.

We believe that the advantages of satellite communications networks include:

Universal availability – Satellite communications provide service to any location within a satellite footprint.

Timely implementation – Large satellite communications networks with thousands of remote sites can be deployed within a few weeks.

Broadcast and multicast capabilities – Satellite is an optimal solution for broadcast and multicast transmission as the satellite signal is simultaneously received by any group of users in the satellite footprint.

Reliability and service availability – Satellite communications network availability is high due to the satellite and ground equipment reliability, the small number of components in the network and terrestrial infrastructure independence.

Scalability – Satellite communications networks scale easily from a single site to thousands of locations.

Cost-effectiveness – The cost of satellite communications networks is independent of distance and therefore it is a cost-effective solution for networks comprised of multiple sites in remote locations.

Applications delivery – Satellite communications networks offer a wide variety of customer applications such as e‑mail, virtual private networks, video, voice, internet access, distance learning, cellular backhaul and financial transactions.

Portability and Mobility – Satellite communications solutions can be mounted on moving platforms for communications on the move, or deployed rapidly for communications in fixed locations and then relocated or moved as required.

Given the technological and implementation benefits afforded by satellite communications networks, we believe that the market for satellite communications products and services will continue to grow. In particular, according to a 2018 report from NSR, a leading international telecom market research and consulting firm, the number of unit shipments to broadband satellite sites, platforms and subscribers is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate, or CAGR, of 19% through 2026.

Further, according to a 2017 report of EuroConsult, a leading global consulting firm specializing in space markets, aggregated satellite capacity has grown significantly in recent years and is forecasted to grow further in the coming years. According to the report, the growing availability of satellite capacity has resulted in significant reduction in the cost of satellite capacity.

In addition, satellite communications is an effective solution for mobility, especially for maritime and for international flights.

New communications networks that integrate satellites operating in low or medium earth orbits (NGSO) are scheduled to be launched in the coming years and are forecasted to account for a significant portion of the aggregated satellite capacity and of the equipment unit shipments to broadband satellite sites, platforms and subscribers.

The availability of auto-pointing satellite antennas designed for in-motion two way communications has created market demand from both commercial and government/defense segments. These antennas are usually mounted on a moving platform (airplane, boat, train, unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs) and connected to a satellite terminal within or on the platform. An important requirement for these applications is that they have light-weight and low-profile antennas, to minimize air drag and fuel consumption. We believe that the demand for light-weight, low-profile antenna systems will increase as well.

Another important requirement emerging is for next generation solid-state power amplifiers able to provide high output power, greater efficiency and field-proven reliability in smaller, lighter weight product packages suitable for fixed, mobile, and airborne antenna systems. These amplifiers, designed and thoroughly tested for use in extreme environments, help provide uninterrupted connectivity to support mission-critical defense operations, as well as demanding inflight connectivity and consumer broadband applications.

There are six primary market categories that require broadband satellite products and services:

Enterprise and Business. End-users include large companies and organizations, Small- Medium Enterprises, or SMEs, and Small Office / Home Office (SOHO) users. For enterprises, satellite communications networks offer network connectivity and deliver voice, data and video within corporations (known as corporate intranets), internet access, transaction‑based connectivity that enables on‑line data delivery such as point‑of‑sale (credit and debit card authorization), inventory control and real time stock exchange trading.

Cellular Backhaul. Cellular networks comprised of backhaul connections to connect the cellular base stations that serve multiple customers. Cellular backhaul connectivity requires more demanding network performance. These requirements usually include a high level of quality of service, or QoS, high speed connectivity, and more control over the network. Satellite backhaul applications include both primary and backup connectivity.

Rural Telecommunications. The rural telecommunications market is comprised of communities throughout the world that require telephone, and internet access in areas that are unserved or underserved by existing telecommunications services. These communication services are usually provided to the rural population via government‑subsidized initiatives. This market sector is comprised of “Build‑Operate” projects, in which governments subsidize the establishment and the operation of a rural network to be served by a satellite, wireless or cellular service provider that is usually selected in a bid process. In other instances, local communications operators have universal service obligations, or USOs, which require them to serve rural areas lacking terrestrial infrastructure. Some local communications operators elect to fulfill this obligation by hiring third parties in a model known as BOT. In these instances, the network is established and made operational by a third party service provider, which operates it for a certain period of time and then it is transferred to the operator.

Consumer. The consumer market consists of residential users. These users require a high‑speed internet connection similar to a digital subscriber line, or DSL, or cable modem service.

Government. The government sector consists of homeland security and military users. The versatility, reliability, and resiliency of satellite broadband networks, the in-motion low profile antennas and the lightweight SSPAs are a perfect fit for security and armed forces. For example, low power lightweight satellite communications systems can be quickly deployed in disaster areas, as a replacement for destroyed wireless or wire line networks, providing communication services to emergency personnel and law enforcement units.

Mobility. The mobility market is comprised of on the move platforms, on land at sea and in the air, such as aircraft, ships, trains and vehicles, that require broadband connectivity. Satellite-based solutions for these platforms include ground network platform, modems, on-the-move antennas and transceivers.

Our Competitive Strengths

We are a leading provider of satellite communication and networking products and services. Our competitive strengths include:

Market leadership in large and growing markets. Since our inception, we have sold more than 1. 5 million satellite terminals (VSATs), over 15,000 low profile antennas and over 30,000 BUCs and SSPAs to customers in approximately 90 countries. Our customer base includes a large number of satellite‑based communications service providers, system integrators and operators worldwide. In addition, we are one of the largest satellite communications service providers to rural communities in Latin America.

Technology leadership. We have been at the forefront of satellite communications technology and services for over 30 years and continue to be an innovator and developer of new satellite technologies. Our customizable satellite communications technology enables us to provide a wide range of broadband, internet, voice, data and video solutions to our customers. We offer hubs and optimized satellite terminals (VSATs) which can attain a rate of up to 400 Mbps. Our product and operations infrastructure is capable of running hubs with greater than 99.8% availability while rolling out thousands of new VSAT site locations each month. Our SkyEdge II-c, state-of-the-art solution, provides high performance and space segment efficiency. Our legacy product lines are known for their durability and resilience. We provide advanced on-the- move terminals, including all components such as antennas, BUCs and modems. Our low-profile, satellite communications on-the-move solutions antennas provide reliable broadband communications for commercial and defense applications. Our SSPAs provide good performance, even at the extreme end of temperature and environmental performance specifications. X-Architecture, our new cloud-based distributed architecture, and our Electronically-Steered Array / Phased Array Antenna (ESA/PAA) are our two most recent innovations that, we believe, have positioned us as a leader in providing satellite communications technology. Our research, development and engineering team, comprised of 268 persons, enable us to rapidly develop new features and applications. Moreover, by directly serving end-users through our service organizations, we are able to quickly respond to changing market conditions and maintain our position in the market.

Global presence and local support. We have sold our products in approximately 90 countries on six continents. Our products and services are used by a large and diverse group of customers including some of the largest enterprises in the world, several government agencies and many rural communities. We have 20 sales and service offices worldwide. Through our network of offices, we are able to maintain a two-tier customer support program offering local support offices and a centralized supply facility.

Complementary business lines for turnkey solutions. Our business segments are able to provide a full turnkey solution to our customers by integrating a diverse range of value‑added products and services. Our product and service offerings - satellite communications network equipment, small cell solutions, power amplifiers, low-profile satellite communications on-the-move terminals, antennas, installation, operation and maintenance – provide communication services ranging from broadband, internet, voice, data and video to managed solutions that can be customized and are flexible. Our business model enables us to be attuned to our customers’ needs and to adapt to changing market trends. Our satellite communications-based networks sometimes serve as platforms for the delivery of complete systems, providing versatile solutions for enterprises, government agencies, SMEs, rural communities, SOHOs and consumers.

Diversified revenue streams and customer base. In the year ended December 31, 2018, approximately 65% of our revenues were generated from equipment sales and 35% of our revenues were generated from services. Our equipment sales are generally independent equipment orders which often generate maintenance contracts and additional opportunities for future equipment sales and also include the revenues from the construction phase of large-scale projects. Our service sales are characterized by long-term contracts that provide a recurring revenue base. In the year ended December 31, 2018, our three business segments, Fixed Networks, Mobility Solutions and Terrestrial Infrastructure Projects, accounted for 54%, 37% and 9% of our revenues, respectively.

Delivery Capabilities. Over the years we have demonstrated our ability to deploy communication networks in the most remote areas, which are difficult both to reach and service. This experience enhances both our ability to plan and implement sophisticated communication networks in remote areas, as well as in challenging terrain, and our ability to meet technological challenges like a lack of electrical power infrastructure or a lack of any physical infrastructure. Our teams are proficient in delivering solutions in these areas.

Experienced management team. Our management is comprised of an experienced executive team. Both Mr. Dov Baharav, the Chairman of our Board of Directors, and Mr. Yona Ovadia, our Chief Executive Officer, have broad experience in senior executive positions. Mr. Baharav served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. and was President and CEO and a member of the Board of Directors of Amdocs Management Limited, or Amdocs, (NASDAQ: DOX). Mr. Ovadia served as Group President and Head of Services Group at Amdocs and in various other executive positions.

Our Growth Strategy

Our objective is to leverage our technology and services capabilities in order to:

Expand Presence in the IFC Market – We continue to develop our hub and modem technology to serve connectivity needs of aviation service providers. We are also placing a major focus on developing a new dual band Ka/Ku terminal, as well as leveraging our unique Phased Array antennas technology. These solutions are designed to serve the high growth of IFC services in the commercial aviation and business aviation markets.

Fortify our Leadership Position in the 4G/LTE Backhaul Market - We intend to continue to leverage our technology, as well as our experience, to serve mobile network operators’ 4G/LTE and 5G connectivity needs in rural, metro-edge and metro areas with long term projects.

Continue to Serve as a Key Partner of VHTS/HTS Satellite Operators – We intend to continue to serve as a meaningful partner of VHTS/HTS operators, leveraging our leading technology in the market and our breadth of services to deploy and operate both GEO and NGSO ground-based satellite communication networks.

Provide internet Broadband to Rural Areas – We intend to build on our experience in bringing broadband internet to rural areas in Latin America and identify additional markets to expand into.

Our Businesses in 2018

Fixed Networks Segment

Overview

Our Fixed Networks segment provides satellite communications network systems and associated professional and managed satellite network services to satellite operators, governments, Telcos and service providers worldwide. Our operational experience in deploying large networks together with our global network of local offices enable us to work closely and directly with those providers. We provide equipment, solutions and services to the commercial, mobile, government, enterprise and consumer markets. We provide solutions tailored to the requirements of individual industries. Based on our open SkyEdge platform, our solutions provide added value to operators through better performance and integration as well as simpler deployment.

Our SkyEdge product family, including SkyEdge II-c products, allow us to deliver efficient, reliable and affordable broadband connectivity such as internet, voice, data and video. As a single platform SkyEdge II-c supports multiple applications such as Broadband Access, Enterprise Cellular Backhaul and Mobility applications.

We also support satellite networking through professional services, training and a full range of turnkey solutions and outsourced network operations.

Products and Solutions

Broadband Satellite Network System

Our SkyEdge II-c system supports large-scale broadband services for both consumer and enterprise applications, including fast web browsing, high-speed trunking, video streaming, internet Protocol Television, or IPTV, Voice Over internet Protocol, or VoIP, and other bandwidth-intensive services. This system also supports cellular backhauling of 2G, 3G and 4G (LTE) technologies. The SkyEdge II-c is designed with highest scalability supporting multi satellite - multi beam networks, with any number of gateways and user terminals. The SkyEdge II-c platform supports four VSAT types: Scorpio, Gemini, Capricorn and Taurus. It includes a unified, centralized network management system, or NMS which manages all hub elements at all gateways from a central NOC location and enables the definition of different types of virtual network operators to support different types of business models and services in multiple regions. Enhanced FCAPS functions, or fault-management, configuration, accounting, performance, and security, a network management framework created by the International Organization for Standardization and the electronic machine to machine interface, enable full visibility, control and seamless integration with the operator’s operations support system/ business support system, or OSS/BSS, environment.

SkyEdge II-c Scorpio is a cutting-edge, fully integrated Ka-band terminal. Scorpio unifies in a single weatherproof box all VSAT components, including BUC, Low Noise Block (downconverter) or LNB, OrthoMode Transducer, or OMT, feed assembly and a high speed modem/router. A single cable connects the outdoor Scorpio to the home network, thus providing a simple demarcation point for improved network diagnostics and increased customer satisfaction.

SkyEdge II-c Gemini is a family of compact high-throughput routers, designed to enable high speed broadband services while meeting cost efficiencies required by residential customers and businesses. Gemini enables fast web browsing, video streaming, IPTV, VoIP, and other bandwidth intensive services. This solution comes in variations for enterprise applications such as retail, banking, automatic teller machines, or ATMs, lotteries and USO/USF government-funded programs aimed to expand broadband connectivity to underserved regions.

SkyEdge II-c Capricorn, including our recently announced, SkyEdge II-c Capricorn PLUS, is a family of ultra-high-performance satellite routers that are used for corporate services, 3G/LTE cellular backhauling, IP trunks and mobility services. For IP trunks and mobility, Capricorn delivers acceleration and packet-per-second performance that support hundreds of users per VSAT. For LTE cellular backhauling, Capricorn includes our patented (granted in Japan and patent-pending in other countries) cellular data acceleration technology that enables full LTE speeds of up to 150Mbps for cellular handheld devices. To reach these high return speeds, Capricorn supports both Time Division Multiple Access, or TDMA, and Single Channel Per Carrier, or SCPC, transmission.

SkyEdge II-c VSATs provide operational simplicity and reduced operational expenditures. They provide simple, Do-It-Yourself, VSAT installation that expedites deployment and reduces costs. The VSAT kit is designed with minimum assembly parts and an easy to point antenna. In addition, our Ka-band transceiver Scorpio terminals and Ka transceivers are equipped with audible indicators to assist in the fine pointing. The VSAT customer premises equipment, or CPE, includes an intuitive graphical user interface that guide the installer step by step through the installation and service activation process.

Our SkyEdge II product family is the legacy generation of our platform, based on a single hub with multiple VSATs to support a variety of services and applications, are capable of efficiently processing different types of data traffic and ensure that the transmissions via the satellite utilize the available satellite bandwidth efficiently and enhance the user experience.

Fixed Networks Solutions

Vertical Solutions

We target specific vertical markets where our products and solutions are most suitable and in which we have multiple references and credibility. These vertical markets include the consumer market, cellular backhaul, oil and gas, banking and finance and rural and e-government markets, among others.

System Integration and Turnkey Implementation

We have expanded our business beyond core VSAT networks to deliver complete and comprehensive solutions to meet our customers’ needs even where VSATs are not the main part of the solution. We see a growth in market demand for vendors capable of fully delivering integrated solutions for interdisciplinary, communication based projects.

In certain other situations, we are required to provide our VSAT solutions in a turnkey mode where we are responsible for the complete end-to-end solution. In the case of turnkey solutions, and occasionally in projects requiring system integrations, we provide our customers with a full and comprehensive solution including:

Project management – accompanying the customer through all stages of a project and ensuring that the project objectives are within the predefined scope, time and budget;

Satellite network design – translating the customer’s requirements into a system to be deployed, performing the sizing and dimensioning of the system and evaluating the available solutions;

Deployment logistics – transportation and rapid installation of equipment in all of the network sites;

Implementation and integration – combining our equipment with third party equipment such as solar panel systems and surveillance systems as well as developing tools to allow the customer to monitor and control the system;

Operational services – providing professional services, program management, network operations and field services; and

Maintenance and support – providing 24/7 helpdesk services, on-site technician support and equipment repairs and updates.

Manufacturing, Customer Support and Warranty

Our products are designed and tested at our facilities in Israel as well as our four other R&D facilities around the world. We outsource a significant portion of the VSAT manufacturing of our products to third parties. We also work with third‑party vendors for the development and manufacture of components integrated into our products, as well as for assembly of components for our products.

We offer a customer care program for our VSAT products, which we refer to as SatCare or SkyCare, and professional services programs that improve customer network availability through ongoing support and maintenance cycles.

As part of our professional services, we provide:

Outsourced operations such as VSAT installation, service commissioning and hub operations;

Proactive troubleshooting, such as periodic network analysis, to identify symptoms in advance; and

Training and certification to ensure customers and local installers are proficient in VSAT operation.

We typically provide a one-year warranty to our customers as part of our standard contract.

In addition, we provide back office support in Peru and Colombia for subsidized telephony and internet networks as well as for private internet, data and telephony clients including a call center, network operations center, field service maintenance and a pre-paid calling card platform and distribution channels.

Marketing and Sales

We use both direct and indirect sales channels to market our products, solutions and services. Our Fixed Networks segment has organized its marketing activities by geographic areas, with groups or subsidiaries covering most regions of the world. Our sales teams are comprised of account managers and sales engineers who establish account relationships and determine technical and business requirements for the customer’s network. These teams also support the other distribution channels with advanced technical capabilities and application experience. Sales cycles in the VSAT network market vary significantly, with some sales requiring 18 months and even more, from an initial lead through signing of the contract, while sales stemming from an immediate need for product delivery can be completed within two to three months. The sales process includes gaining an understanding of customer needs, several network design iterations and network demonstrations.

Customers and Markets

We provide our Satellite Communication solutions to satellite operators, governments, system integrators, telecommunication companies and MNOs, satellite communication providers, ISPs, and homeland security and defense agencies. Our customers benefit from:

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a single accountable partner for all of their satellite communication network needs;

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high credibility and experience;

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local presence and partnerships;

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industry-leading technology and system integration;

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flexibility and customization; and

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proven ability to deliver innovative end-to-end solutions.

We sell and distribute our products and provide services internationally, particularly in Latin America, Asia, Asia Pacific, the U.S., Africa, CIS (Russian Commonwealth) and Europe.

We sell VSAT communications networks and solutions primarily to service providers that mostly serve the enterprise consumer, cellular backhauling, and mobility market. We have more than 300 such customers worldwide.

Enterprise and service provider customers use our networks for internet access, broadband data, voice and video connectivity and for applications such as credit card authorizations, online banking, corporate intranet, interactive distance learning, lottery transactions, retail point‑of‑sale, inventory control and supervisory control and data acquisition, or SCADA, services.

Service providers serving the rural communications market are typically public telephony and internet operators providing telephony and internet services through public call offices, telecenters, internet cafes or pay phones. Some of the rural communication projects are for government customers. Examples of our rural telecom customers include Telefonica in Peru, Cable & Wireless in Panama and SCT in Mexico.

Service providers for the consumer market are typically Telcos planning to expand internet service to the consumer markets.

Our VSAT networks also provide underserved areas with a high-speed internet connection similar to DSL service provided to residential users. Among such customers are Optus in Australia, Hispasat in Latin America, Eutelsat in Russia and SBBS in several countries in Europe.

Public Rural Telecom Services:

In a large number of remote and rural areas, primarily in developing countries, there is limited or no telephone or internet service, due to inadequate terrestrial telecommunications infrastructure. In these areas, VSAT networks utilize existing satellites to rapidly provide high-quality, cost-effective telecommunications solutions. In contrast to terrestrial networks, VSAT networks are simple to reconfigure or expand, relatively immune to difficulties of topography and can be situated almost anywhere. Additionally, VSATs can be installed and connected to a network quickly without the need to rely on local infrastructure. For example, some of our VSATs are powered by solar energy where there is no existing power infrastructure. Our VSATs provide reliable service, seldom require maintenance and, when necessary, repair is relatively simple.

As a result of the above advantages, there is a demand for government‑sponsored, VSAT-based bundled services of fixed telephony and internet access. Many of these government‑funded projects have been expanded to provide not only telephony services and internet access, but to also provide tele-centers that can serve the local population. These tele-centers include computers, printers, fax machines, photocopiers and TVs for educational programs. Additional revenue may be received, both in the form of subsidies and direct revenues from the users, when these additional services are provided.

We provide broadband services and public telephony in rural areas, incorporating our hubs, satellite network equipment and terrestrial technologies (typically, fiber-optic and wireless technologies) as described under this Item below. The operation of our terrestrial fixed networks is provided under our fixed networks segment.

Since our first rural telephony project for FITEL in Peru in 1998, we have been awarded several of the rural communications projects by the Peruvian government, with the most recent project scheduled to end at the end of 2019. Overall, we operate approximately 7,500 telephony sites in Peru, and approximately 850 internet services sites, and have been awarded large-scale government contracts to build and operate, or to build, operate and transfer, these networks, Additionally, we have developed services for financial sector companies, such as Banco de la Nacion, providing internet, data and telephony services. Our rural networks serve more than six million people.

In December 2013, we were awarded a contract by the Peruvian government (through FITEL) for the deployment and operation of a wireless transport and distribution network in the northern Amazonas region of Peru. The contract, including extension worth $36 million, is for a period of over 12 years.

We expect to generate additional revenues from the FITEL Regional Projects to be operated by us by enabling cellular carriers and other service providers to acquire capacity over these networks to address the growing need for voice, data, and internet in these regions, as well as the development of platforms for e-learning, e-health and similar applications. These additional revenues together with the revenue from the operation of the networks will be part of our Fixed Networks segment revenues, while the construction of the FITEL Regional Projects is accounted under our Terrestrial Infrastructure Projects segment (see in this Item below).

Our first project in Colombia was awarded to us in 1999 by the government and was followed by several projects under which Gilat Colombia operated large networks encompassing thousands of rural sites and provided broadband internet connectivity, telephony, fax and other services. In December 2013, we were awarded a project, as part of the Kioscos Digitales project by the Ministry of ITC, for provision of internet/telephony connectivity for assimilation of educational and small communities in 1903 Kioscos sites in rural areas. The contract term was extended several times with the last extension ending in the second quarter of 2019. This project, from its initiation and including all its extensions, is expected to generate aggregate revenues of approximately 312 billion Colombian Pesos (approximately $103 million). During 2015, we recorded an impairment of long lived assets charge of $10.1 million related to the Kioscos Digitales project. For more information, see ITEM 5.A - “Operating and Financial Review and Prospects - Operating Results - Impairment of Intangible Assets and Long-Lived Assets”.

Enterprise and Government Agencies

We provide network equipment and related services to selected enterprises and government agencies. In some markets, existing telecom operators are mandated by the government to provide universal services. Providing these services in remote areas is a challenge to these operators, and they sometimes outsource these services to rural telecom service providers. These customers contract with Gilat Peru for VSAT equipment and associated network services to be deployed at customer locations, typically for a contract term of three to five years. We also resell managed terrestrial connectivity equipment and services from facilities‑based Local Exchange Carrier partners.

Mobility Segment Solutions

We provide satellite communication on the move systems with solutions for land, sea and air, while placing major focus on IFC. Our portfolio includes a cloud based VSAT network platform, high-speed modems, high performance on-the-move antennas and high efficiency, high power SSPAs and BUCs.

SkyEdge Satellite Network System

We utilize our SkyEdge II-c, to deliver efficient, reliable and affordable broadband connectivity such as internet, voice, data and video in travelling environments. The SkyEdge II-c system supports bandwidth-intensive services with a network management system that manages all hub elements at all gateways from a central NOC location.

SkyEdge II-c Taurus

SkyEdge II-c Taurus manages the entire in-flight satellite communication connectivity with simultaneous support for broadband IFC and internet Protocol Television, or IPTV and will be a key component of our Ku/Ka aeronautical satellite communication solution, as our ultra-high-performance aero-modem manager (MODMAN) for in-flight connectivity. All SkyEdge II-c VSATs are full-featured IP routers, supporting enhanced IP routing features such as DHCP, NAT/PAT and IGMP. Advanced application-based QoS, guarantees the performance of real-time applications such as VoIP and video streaming, while also supporting other data applications. SkyEdge II-c VSATs also support next generation IPv6 networking.

Raysat Low-Profile Satellite Communication on the Move Antenna Systems

Our RaySat series consists of low-profile, in-motion, two-way antennas for satellite communication on the move. Compact, aerodynamic and vehicle-mounted, RaySat antennas deliver mission-critical data, voice and video for secure, real-time information flow. Our RaySat products operate in Ku, Ka and X bands and are ideal for both civilian and military satellite communication on the move applications such as:

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Military - strategic military advantage by supporting the transfer of real-time intelligence while on-the-move with a small, low profile, hard to track antenna;

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Digital satellite news gathering – always on, no set up time, real-time streaming video;

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First responders - supports vehicles’ mobility, agility and stability required for teams to be the first to reach the scene; and

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Search and exploration teams, close-to-shore vessels etc.

A full suite of two-way, low-profile antennas is available with multiple onboard tracking sensors, enabling accurate tracking, short initial acquisition and instantaneous reacquisition. RaySat antenna products are designed, manufactured and assembled at our facilities in Bulgaria.

RaySat Products

RaySat SR300 (X, Ka, Ku) antennas feature an advanced flat-panel array which covers both the Rx and Tx. Minimal size, weight and power (SWaP) permit installation on small vehicles or marine vessels. The antenna’s light weight ensures easy and safe mounting for quick and easy operation by non-technical personnel.

RaySat ER5000 (Ka, Ku) has a sturdy structure and compact size allowing for implementation on a wide range of vehicles. ER5000 antennas maximize throughput using high-efficiency waveguide panel technology. The low profile, ruggedized two-way antenna system enables real-time Ka- and Ku-band satellite communications for video, voice and data transfer.

RaySat ER7000 maximizes throughput using high-efficiency waveguide panel technology and the antenna’s light weight ensures easy and safe vehicle mounting. It has been widely deployed on trains and large vehicles worldwide.

RaySat ER6000 is a high capacity versatile dual-band airborne satellite two-way antenna for IFC that is capable of being switched between Ka and Ku bands during flight, and can operate in either band as required. This solution enables aeronautical real-time broadband satellite communications for video, voice and data. The antenna is designed to maximize throughput by using high-efficiency waveguide panel technology. Its low profile and light weight will permit easy and safe mounting on aircraft. The rugged antenna structure will be particularly suited for operation in challenging environments, providing reliable, continuous, in-flight broadband communications.

Electronically-Steered-Array, Phased-Array Antenna (ESA/PAA) (Ka, Ku) is an ultra-slim (low-profile) antenna with no moving parts that electronically steers the transmission and reception beams towards the satellite, allowing operation even around the equator. The antenna design is highly scalable, with array dimensions that can be changed to optimally match specific gain requirements, making it suitable for a wide range of mobile platforms (aerial, land and maritime) and various throughput performance needs. Owing to its scalability and ultra-low profile, the antenna is particularly suited to supporting mobile connectivity for platforms that are constrained by size and weight.

Wavestream

Our Wavestream subsidiary designs and manufactures next generation solid-state power amplifiers for mission-critical defense and broadcast satellite communications systems. Wavestream’s innovative, patented Spatial AdvantEdge™ technology provides higher output power, greater reliability and lower energy usage in more compact packages than traditional amplifier solutions. Wavestream’s product line meets the growing demand for greater efficiency and significant lifecycle cost reductions for satellite communications systems worldwide.

Wavestream’s headquarters, research and development, engineering and manufacturing facilities are located in San Dimas, California, with an additional research and development center in Singapore. Our BUCs are manufactured in the San Dimas facility.

The Wavestream product line addresses the following applications and markets:

Defense Communications - satellite-based airborne and highly secured point-to-point. This market is typically categorized by customers requiring high quality products – at times for mission critical communications in extreme environmental conditions. The satellite terminals (e.g., VSAT, Single Channel Per Carrier, or SCPC) are usually provided to the defense agencies via system integrators and not directly from the power amplifier suppliers;

Government - public safety, emergency response and disaster recovery. Similar to the market for defense agencies, though usually less demanding in terms of environmental conditions, these terminals are provided to various local, state and federal agencies that need to manage emergency communications. The satellite terminals (e.g., VSAT, SCPC) are usually provided via system integrators or service providers and not directly from the power amplifier suppliers;

Commercial terminals - A high power amplifier is used with high-end VSAT terminals for various applications where there is the requirement to transmit large amounts of data. Examples include airborne IFC terminals/antennas in commercial and business airplanes high speed for internet access. The satellite terminals/antennas are usually provided via system integrators, service providers or airframe manufacturers and not directly from the power amplifier suppliers;

Commercial broadcast - Broadcast providers and teleport operators require high power amplifiers in order to transmit large carriers, such as for TV broadcast, multicast of video and high-speed IP connectivity.

Wavestream’s customers include AeroSat, GATR Technologies (a subsidiary of Cubic Corporation), General Dynamics Satcom Technologies, Honeywell International Inc., L-3 and Tecom.

RF amplifiers, BUCs and transceivers

The Wavestream product line consists of RF amplifiers, BUCs and transceivers that use solid-state sources to produce high power at microwave and millimeter-wave frequencies. Our Wavestream patented Spatial AdvantEdge™ technology allows us to create more compact product packages that provide higher power, greater reliability and improved efficiency for any mission-critical applications. The spatially power combined amplifier employs a different technique for combining the transistor outputs than traditional Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit, or MMIC, based amplifiers. Rather than combining in multiple steps, increasing loss and size with each combining stage, all transistor outputs are combined in a single step. Many amplifying elements synchronously amplify the input signal, and their outputs are combined in free space for very high combining efficiency.

Our Wavestream patented technology allows us to create amplifiers and BUCs with high output power in more compact product packages that generate less heat, use less energy, and reduce lifecycle costs. Our Wavestream products help customers meet the stringent power requirements for mission-critical communications system. We perform full factory acceptance testing on every unit we manufacture and deliver, ensuring each product has guaranteed performance over the full temperature range and over extended frequency bands.

We believe that we have established a leadership position with our compact, highly efficient SSPAs with a field-proven family of Ka, Ku, X and C-band products. Our Wavestream line of products are designed and tested to meet strenuous requirements for temperature, shock and vibration, over the full range of frequency and at the extremes of environmental performance specifications. Our Wavestream field-proven technology and reputation for innovation and quality drive solutions for multiple applications targeting military, aerospace, commercial and broadcast satellite systems.

Wavestream AeroStream™

The Wavestream AeroStream™ is a state-of-the-art transceiver for challenging inflight satellite communications environments. AeroStream products meet RTCA/DO-160G, Boeing, Airbus and ARINC specifications for commercial aircraft as well as MIL-STD requirements for military aircraft. The AeroStream™ transceiver is in certification process with the FAA. AeroStream incorporates Wavestream’s next generation Spatial AdvantEdge™ technology to provide high power output with greater efficiency and reliability for airborne satellite communications applications. The AeroStream transceiver offers all necessary interfaces to work seamlessly with leading modems and Antenna Control Units, or ACUs, to provide a convenient turnkey solution.

Integrated Solutions

We offer fully integrated solutions based on our own technology and components. Our integrated solutions feature the highest standards of reliability and efficiency combining our own VSAT/modems, antennas and BUCs. We leverage our innovative and industry-leading technological capabilities from R&D centers around the world.

We provide an integrated quick-deploy mobile Satellite Communication solution for net-centric emergency and battle situations. We offer both commercial and military manpack terminals, named SatRanger and SatTrooper, respectively. These lightweight, portable solutions provide data, video and telephony under the toughest environmental and battle conditions. The small-size antenna can be set up in just a few minutes with automatic pointing and does not require any tools for assembly. The manpacks are highly integrated with our operationally proven components: antennas, built-in modems, BUCs and LNBs, all incorporated into one ruggedized enclosure. Low power consumption enables long hours of battery operation. The manpacks provide high availability, secure communications and excellent performance in extremely low signal to noise ratio conditions.

Our BlackRay Satellite Communication terminals are specially designed for UAV and USV applications. These terminals have been used worldwide in commercial and military applications which require high-throughput communications and minimal size, weight, and power. The system’s miniscule dimensions allow Beyond-Line-of-Sight (BLoS) operations for even the smallest platforms, in harsh weather conditions, while supporting video and data downlink and uplink applications. These highly integrated terminals feature best-of-breed antenna, modem and BUC technologies developed and manufactured by us. Customized solutions of the BlackRay platform are also available for specific customer platforms and needs.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles - Our BlackRay 71 and parabolic systems serve the critical need to exploit the full capabilities of an aircraft’s operational range. As one of the industry’s smallest and most compact aerial solutions in its category, our integrated approach can dramatically increase mission effectiveness. We offer a full range of Satellite Communication systems for Group 3, 4 and 5 UAVs, operating in Ku-, Ka- and X- band, and available in different sizes and bit rates.

Unmanned Surface Vehicles - Our BlackRay Maritime 300 is a compact system that can be quickly implemented to deliver high-throughput communication, even for small USVs. The BlackRay Maritime 300 has been designed to meet minimal size, weight and power requirements and can transmit more than 2Mbps for IP-based video or data BLoS applications. This maritime terminal delivers spectrum-efficient IP connectivity, adaptive in real time to varying link conditions.

Terrestrial Infrastructure Projects Segment

Overview

We provide network infrastructure construction of the fiber and microwave network of FITEL in Peru mainly through BOT contracts subsidized by the government. Accordingly, we build the infrastructure, act as a licensed telecommunications operator for a defined period and almost in all cases, then transfer the network to the customer.

In March and December 2015, we were awarded four FITEL Regional Projects by the Peruvian government with expected revenues of $393 million, for the construction of networks, operation of the networks for a defined period and their transfer to the government. Pursuant to the FITEL Regional Projects awarded in March 2015, we are building fiber-optic transport networks and will operate them for up to one year before transferring them to the Peruvian government. Under the projects awarded in December 2015, we will transfer the transport networks that we build to the Peruvian government immediately upon completion. Additionally, we are constructing access networks, based on wireless technologies that we will operate for 10 years, prior to transferring them to the Peruvian government. The construction phase was extended several times due to continued delays. As a result, the expected duration of these 2015 FITEL Regional Projects was significantly prolonged from their scheduled delivery dates and is expected to continue for 14-15 years from their commencement. Our revenues and collections from these projects in 2018 were delayed and therefore were less than initially expected. Such delays also increased our expenses which adversely impacted our operating results in 2018. Failure to complete the 2015 FITEL Regional Projects in a timely manner and pursuant to the updated schedule will have a significant adverse effect on our business and financial results.

In 2018, we were awarded two additional FITEL Regional Projects for the construction and operation of networks over approximately 13-15 years with expected revenues of approximately $154 million. Under these FITEL Regional Projects we will deliver transport networks and operate them for up to eighteen months before transferring them to the Peruvian government. The access networks, which we will operate for 10 years, will be owned by us. The construction of the FITEL Regional Projects is part of our Terrestrial Infrastructure Projects segment, while the services provided over these networks are part of our Fixed Networks segment (See this Item above).

Our Peruvian subsidiary has local offices in Lima, Peru as well as in the main cities of the regions awarded.

Sales and Marketing

We use direct and indirect sales channels to market our equipment and related services. Our sales team of account managers and sales engineers are the primary account interfaces and work to establish account relationships and determine technical and business demands.

Competition

The telecommunications industry operates in a competitive, rapidly changing market. In some cases, our competitors can also be our customers or partners. Accordingly, maintaining an open and cooperative relationship is important.

In the equipment market, we face competition from providers of satellite communications systems, products and services, such as HNS, ViaSat, iDirect, Newtec, Comtech and a few other smaller providers. In managed satellite network services solutions our main competitors are Speedcast, SES and Intelsat.

We compete in some HTS markets with competitors such as ViaSat and HNS that have launched high throughput satellites. Although we have entered the HTS market with competitive technology, we continue to expect competition in this market to increase.

Due to the nature of the satellite solution, the VSAT technology is, at times, commercially tied to the satellite technology itself, and, consequently, there may be circumstances where it is difficult for competitors to compete with an incumbent VSAT vendor using the particular satellite.

Our low-profile in-motion antennas compete with products from competitors such as Cobham, ERA, Panasonic, Orbit, Thinkom, C-Com Satellite Systems Inc., Wiworld, Tracstar, L-3, SATPRO M&C Tech Co., Ltd and Tecom. This market is nascent, and not as mature as the satellite communications or satellite services markets.

Our primary competitors with respect to our BUCs and other Wavestream products are Comtech Xicom Technology, Inc., CPI Satcom, General Dynamics Satcom Technologies, Paradise Datacom and Mission Microwave Technologies.

Geographic Distribution of Our Business

The following table sets forth our revenues from continued operations by geographic area for the periods indicated below as a percent of our total sales:

	Years Ended December 31,
	2018			2017			2016
Latin America		36	%		47	%		51	%
North America		36	%		26	%		20	%
APAC		15	%		12	%		17	%
EMEA		13	%		15	%		12	%
Total		100	%		100	%		100	%

C.	Organizational Structure

Significant Subsidiaries	Country/State of Incorporation	% ownership

1. Gilat Satellite Networks (Holland) B.V.	Netherlands	100%
2. Gilat Colombia S.A. E.S.P	Colombia	100%
3. Gilat to Home Peru S.A	Peru	100%
4. Gilat do Brazil Ltda.	Brazil	100%
5. Gilat Satellite Networks (Mexico) S.A. de C.V.	Mexico	100%
6. Wavestream Corporation	Delaware (U.S)	100%
7. Gilat Networks Peru S.A	Peru	100%
8. Gilat Satellite Networks Australia Pty Ltd.	Australia	100%
9. Gilat Satellite Networks (Eurasia) Limited	Russia	100%
10. Gilat Satellite Networks MDC (Moldova)	Moldova	100%
11. Raysat Bulgaria EOOD	Bulgaria	100%
12. Gilat Satellite Communication Technology (Beijing) Ltd.	China	100%
13. Gilat Satellite Networks (Philippines) Inc.	Philippines	100%

D.	Property, Plants and Equipment

Our headquarters are located in a modern office park which we own in Petah Tikva, Israel. This facility consists of approximately 380,000 square feet, a substantial part of which are currently used by us and the remainder is subleased or offered for sublease to third parties.

We have local Global NOCs coverage in Australia, Moldova, Peru and Colombia from which we perform network services and customer support functions

We own facilities located on approximately 137,150 square feet of land in Backnang, Germany. Since May 2002, these facilities are leased to a third party, which lease expires on December 31, 2025. We own approximately 13,800 square feet of research and development facilities and rent approximately 12,600 square feet of manufacturing facilities in Sofia, Bulgaria, which lease will expire on May 31, 2020, and rent approximately 7,750 square feet in Moldova for research and development and Global NOC activities. Our Wavestream subsidiary currently occupies approximately 32,500 square feet of facilities for office space, research and development and manufacturing in San Dimas, California under a lease which will expire on March 31, 2020.

We also maintain facilities in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, China, Peru and Australia, along with representative offices in Bangkok (Thailand), New Delhi (India), Almaty (Kazakhstan), Jakarta (Indonesia), Moscow (Russia), Singapore and small facilities in other locations throughout the world.

We consider our current office space, research and development and manufacturing facilities sufficient to meet our anticipated needs for the foreseeable future and suitable for the conduct of our business.

ITEM 4A:

UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

There are no unresolved staff comments.

ITEM 5: OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS

A.	Operating Results

The following discussion of our results of operations should be read together with our audited consolidated financial statements and the related notes, which appear elsewhere in this annual report. The following discussion contains forward-looking statements that reflect our current plans, estimates and beliefs and involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include those discussed below and elsewhere in this annual report.

Introduction

We are a global provider of satellite-based broadband communications. We design and manufacture ground-based satellite communications equipment, and provide comprehensive solutions and end-to-end services, powered by our e technology. Our portfolio comprises a cloud based satellite network platform, VSATs, amplifiers, high-speed modems, on-the-move antennas and high power SSPAs and BUCs. Our solutions support multiple applications with a full portfolio of products to address key applications including broadband access, cellular backhaul, enterprise, in-flight connectivity, maritime, trains, defense and public safety, all while meeting stringent service level requirements. We also provide connectivity services, internet access and telephony, to enterprise, government and residential customers utilizing both our own networks, and also other networks that we install, mainly based on BOT contracts. We also provide managed network services over VSAT networks owned by others.

We have a large installed base and have shipped more than 1.5 million satellite terminals to customers in approximately 90 countries on six continents since 1989. We have twenty sales and support offices worldwide, four NOCs (which include Global NOC) and five R&D centers. Our products are primarily sold to communication service providers and operators that use satellite communications to serve enterprise, government and residential users. We also provide services directly to end‑users in certain countries.

Through 2017, we operated in three business segments, comprised of our Commercial, Mobility and Services divisions. Commencing in 2018, in order to more accurately reflect management’s focus, organizational alignment, our customer base and end markets, we operate in three new business segments, as follows:

Fixed Networks provides advanced fixed broadband satellite communication networks, satellite communication systems, and associated professional services and comprehensive turnkey solutions and fully managed satellite network services solutions. Our customers are service providers, satellite operators, MNOs, Telcos, and large enterprises, consumers and governments worldwide. In addition, it includes our network operation and managed satellite network services activity in Peru and Colombia. We focus on HTS, opportunities worldwide, with focus on cellular backhaul, and are driving meaningful partnerships with satellite operators to leverage our technology and breadth of services to deploy and operate the ground-based satellite communication networks

Mobility Solutions provides advanced on-the-move satellite communications equipment, systems and solutions, including airborne, maritime and ground-mobile satellite systems and solutions. This segment provides solutions for land, sea and air connectivity, while placing major focus on IFC, with our unique leading technology as well as defense and homeland security activities. Our product portfolio comprises of high-speed modems, high performance on-the-move antennas and high efficiency, high power SSPAs and BUC. Our customers are service providers, system integrators, defense and homeland security organizations, as well as other commercial entities worldwide.

Terrestrial Infrastructure Projects provides network infrastructure construction of the fiber and microwave network of FITEL in Peru.

We have retrospectively revised our segment information for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 to conform to the new business segments presentation.

The above changes in our reportable segments will have no effect on the goodwill assignment among the divisions.

Financial Statements in U.S. Dollars

The currency of the primary economic environment in which most of our operations are conducted is the U.S. dollar and, therefore, we use the U.S. dollar as our functional and reporting currency. Transactions and balances originally denominated in U.S. dollars are presented at their original amounts. Gains and losses arising from non-U.S. dollar transactions and balances are included in the consolidated statements of operations. The financial statements of certain foreign subsidiaries, whose functional currency has been determined to be their local currency, have been translated into U.S. dollars. The assets and liabilities of these subsidiaries have been translated using the exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date. Statements of operations amounts have been translated using specific rates. The resulting translation adjustments are reported as a component of shareholders’ equity in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss).

Explanation of Key Income Statement Items

Revenues

We generate revenues mainly from the sale of products, including construction of networks, from services for satellite-based communications networks and from providing connectivity, internet access and telephony services to enterprise, government and residential customers under large-scale contracts that utilize both our own networks and also other networks that we install, mainly based on BOT contracts. These large‑scale contracts sometimes involve the installation of thousands of VSATs or massive fiber-optic transport and access networks. Sales of products includes principally the sale of VSATs, hubs, SSPAs, low-profile antennas and on-the-Move / on-the-Pause terminals and the construction phase of large-scale projects. Service revenues include access to and communication via satellites, or space segment, installation of network equipment, telephone services, internet services, consulting, on-line network monitoring, network maintenance and repair services. We sell our products primarily through our direct sales force and indirectly through resellers or system integrators. Sales consummated by our sales force and sales to resellers or system integrators are considered sales to end-users.

In 2018, the Ministry of ITC and our large U.S. system integrator customer, which are customers of the Fixed Networks segment, accounted for 13% and 15% of our revenues, respectively. In 2018, 2017 and 2016, FITEL, a customer under Terrestrial Infrastructure Projects and the Fixed Networks segment, accounted for 10%, 28% and 34% of our revenues, respectively.

Costs and Operating Expenses

Cost of revenues, for both products and services, includes the cost of system design, equipment, including inventory write-off costs, satellite capacity, salaries and related costs, allocated overhead costs, depreciation and amortization, customer service, interconnection charges and third party maintenance and installation.

Our research and development expenses, net of grants received, consist of salaries and related costs, raw materials, subcontractor expenses, related depreciation costs and overhead allocated to research and development activities.

Our selling and marketing expenses consist primarily of salaries and related costs, commissions earned by sales and marketing personnel, commissions to agents, trade show expenses, promotional expenses and overhead costs allocated to selling and marketing activities, as well as depreciation expenses and travel costs.

Our general and administrative expenses consist primarily of salaries and related costs, allocated overhead costs, office supplies and administrative costs, bad debts, fees and expenses of our directors, depreciation, and professional service fees, including legal, insurance and audit fees, net of rental income.

Our operating results are significantly affected by, among other things, the timing of contract awards and the performance of agreements. As a result, our revenues and income (loss) may fluctuate substantially from quarter to quarter, and we believe that comparisons over longer periods of time may be more meaningful. The nature of certain of our expenses is mainly fixed or partially fixed and any fluctuation in revenues will generate a significant variation in gross profit and net income (loss).

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

The preparation of the financial information in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates, mainly related to trade receivables, inventories, deferred charges, long-lived assets, intangibles and goodwill, revenues, stock based compensation relating to options and contingencies. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

We believe the following critical accounting policies affect our more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of the financial information included in this annual report.

Consolidation. Our consolidated financial statements include the accounts of our company and those of our subsidiaries, in which we have a controlling voting interest, as well as entities consolidated under the Variable Interest Entities, or VIEs, provisions of ASC 810, “Consolidation”, or ASC 810. Inter-company balances and transactions have been eliminated upon consolidation.

Most of the activity of Gilat Colombia consists of operating subsidized projects for the Ministry of ITC. The first projects were awarded to our Colombian subsidiaries in 1999 and 2002 and were extended several times. An additional project was awarded to us in 2011 and was completed in December 2013. Another project was awarded to us in 2013 and was extended several times. The project is ongoing and the current extension is until the second quarter of 2019.

As required in the bid documents for the Ministry of ITC projects, we established trusts, or the Trusts, and entered into a governing trust agreement for each project, or collectively the Trust Agreements. The Trusts were established for the purpose of holding the network equipment, processing payments to subcontractors, and holding the funds received through the subsidy from the government until they are released in accordance with the terms of the subsidy and paid to us. The Trusts are a mechanism to allow the government to review amounts to be paid with the subsidy and to verify that such funds are used in accordance with the transaction documents and the terms of the subsidy. We generate revenues both from the subsidy, as well as from the use of the network that we operate.

The Trusts are considered VIEs and we are identified as the primary beneficiary of the Trusts. Under ASC 810, we perform ongoing assessments of whether we are the primary beneficiary of a VIE. As our assessment provides that we have the power to direct the activities of a VIE that most significantly impacts the VIE’s activities (we are responsible for establishing and operating the networks), the obligation to absorb losses of the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE and the right to receive benefits from the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE economic performance, we therefore concluded that we are the primary beneficiary of the Trusts. As such, the Trusts were consolidated in our financial statements since their inception.

The cash held by the Trusts is consolidated within our financial statements and classified as “Restricted cash held by trustees”. The advances from customers received by the Trusts are consolidated within our financial statements and classified as “Advances from customers held by trustees”.

Revenues. We generate revenue mainly from the sale of products (including construction of networks), satellite-based communications networks services and from providing connectivity, internet access and telephony services. We sell our products and services to enterprises, government and residential customers under large-scale contracts that utilize both our networks and other networks that we install, mainly based on BOT contracts. These large scale contracts sometimes involve the installation of thousands of VSATs or construction of massive fiber-optic and microwave networks. Sale of products includes mainly the sale of hubs, VSATs, SSPAs, low-profile antennas, on-the-move/on-the-pause terminals, and construction and installation of large-scale networks based on BOT contracts. Sale of services includes access to and communication via satellites, or space segment, installation of equipment, telephone services, internet services, consulting, on-line network monitoring, network maintenance and repair services. We sell our products primarily through our direct sales force and indirectly through resellers or system integrators. Sales consummated by our sales force and sales to resellers or system integrators are considered sales to end-users.

We recognize revenue in accordance with ASC No. 606, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers”. As such, we apply the following five steps: (1) identify the contract with a customer, (2) identify the performance obligations in the contract, (3) determine the transaction price, (4) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract, and (5) recognize revenue when a performance obligation is satisfied.

If the contract contains a single performance obligation, the entire transaction price is allocated to the single performance obligation. Contracts that contain multiple performance obligations require an allocation of the transaction price to each performance obligation based on a relative standalone selling price (“SSP”) basis. We establish SSP based on management judgment, considering internal factors such as margin objectives, pricing practices and historical sales.

Consideration from contracts that is assessed as not being probable of collection is not recognized as revenue until the contract is completed and cash is received. Collectability is re-assessed when there is a significant change in facts or circumstances. Our assessment of collectability considers whether it may limit our exposure to credit risk through its right to stop transferring additional service in the event the customer is delinquent as well as certain contract terms such as down payments that reduce its exposure to credit risk.

Revenue from the sale of equipment is recognized once the customer has obtained control over the items purchased. When significant acceptance provisions are included in the arrangement, we defer recognizing the revenue until the acceptance occurs. We generally do not grant a right of return to our customers. Revenue from periodic services is recognized ratably over the term the services are rendered. Revenue from other services is recognized upon their completion.

Revenues from contracts under which we provide significant construction to the customer's specifications (mostly governmental projects) are generally recognized over time because of continuous transfer of control to the customer. This continuous transfer of control to the customer is supported by clauses in the contract that allow the customer to unilaterally terminate the contract for convenience, pay us for costs incurred plus a reasonable profit and take control of any work in process. We generally use the cost-to-cost measure of progress for these contracts because it best depicts the transfer of control to the customer, which occurs as costs are incurred on the contracts. Under the cost-to-cost measure of progress, the extent of progress towards completion is measured based on the ratio of costs incurred to date to the total estimated costs at completion of the performance obligation. Revenues, are recorded proportionally as costs are incurred. Costs to fulfill include labor, materials and subcontractors’ costs and other direct and allocated indirect costs. When estimates of total costs to be incurred exceed total estimates of revenue to be earned on the uncompleted contracts, a provision for the entire loss on the contract is recognized in the period the loss is identified.

Under the typical payment terms of government fixed-price contracts, the customer pays us milestones-based payments. Those payments are based on quantifiable measures of performance or on the achievement of specified events or milestones. Because those payments are due upon completion of those milestones, they may result in revenue recognized in excess of billings and are presented as part of contract assets on the balance sheet.

Amounts recognized as revenue and which we have unconditional right to receive are classified as receivables on the balance sheet.

Revenue from products under lease contracts is recognized in accordance with ASC 840 upon installation or upon delivery, in cases where the customer obtains its own or other's installation services. The net investments in sales-type leases are discounted at the interest rates implicit in the leases. The present values of payments due under sales-type lease contracts are recorded as revenue at the time of shipment or installation, as appropriate.

Future interest income is deferred and recognized over the related lease term as financial income.

Deferred revenue and advances from customers are recorded when we receive payments from customers before performance obligations have been performed. Deferred revenue is recognized as revenue as (or when) we perform the performance obligation under the contract.

We pay sales commissions to sales and marketing and certain management personnel based on their attainment of certain predetermined sales goals. Sales commissions earned by our employees are considered incremental and recoverable costs of obtaining a contract with a customer. Sales commissions are capitalized and amortized upon recognition of the related revenue, consistently with the transfer to the customer of the goods or services to which they relate. Amortization expenses related to these costs are mostly included in sales and marketing expenses in our consolidated statements of operations.

Income Taxes. We are subject to income taxation in Israel, the United States and numerous other jurisdictions. Determining our provision for income taxes requires significant management judgment. In addition, our provision for income taxes could be adversely affected by many factors, including, among other things, changes to our operating structure, changes in the amounts of earnings in jurisdictions with different statutory tax rates, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities and changes in tax laws. We are subject to ongoing tax examinations in various jurisdictions. Tax authorities may disagree with our intercompany charges, cross-jurisdictional transfer pricing or other matters and assess additional taxes. While we regularly evaluate the likely outcomes of these examinations to determine the adequacy of our provision for income taxes, there can be no assurance that the outcomes of such examinations will not have a material impact on our results of operations and cash flows. In addition, we may be audited in various jurisdictions, and such jurisdictions may assess additional taxes against us. Although we believe our tax estimates are reasonable, the final determination of any tax audits or litigation could be materially different from our historical tax provisions and accruals, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or cash flows in the period or periods for which a determination is made.

Significant judgment is required to determine the recognition and measurement attributes prescribed in Accounting Standards Codification, (“ASC 740-10-25”). In addition, ASC 740-10-25 applies to all income tax positions, including the potential recovery of previously paid taxes, which if settled unfavorably could adversely impact our provision for income taxes. Further, as a result of certain of our ongoing employment and capital investment actions and commitments, our income in certain countries is subject to reduced tax rates. Our failure to meet these commitments could adversely impact our provision for income taxes. In addition, we are subject to the continuous examination of our income tax returns by Israeli, U.S. and other tax authorities. We regularly assess the likelihood of adverse outcomes resulting from these examinations to determine the adequacy of our provision for income taxes. There can be no assurance that the outcomes from these continuous examinations will not have an adverse effect on our results of operations.

Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts. We are required to estimate our ability to collect our trade receivables. A considerable amount of judgment is required in assessing their ultimate realization. We provided allowances for receivables relating to customers that were specifically identified by our management as having difficulties paying their respective receivables. If the financial condition of our customers deteriorates, resulting in their inability to make payments, additional allowances may be required. These estimates are based on historical bad debt experience and other known factors pertaining to these customers. If the historical data we used to determine these estimates does not properly reflect future realization, additional allowances may be required.

Inventory Valuation. We are required to state our inventories at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Net realizable value is the estimated selling prices in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal, and transportation. At each balance sheet date, we evaluate our inventory balance for excess quantities and obsolescence. This evaluation includes an analysis of sales levels by product and projections of future demand. We write-off inventories that are considered obsolete. Remaining inventory balances are adjusted to the lower of cost or net realizable value. If future demand for our old or new products or market conditions is less favorable than our projections, inventory write-offs may be required and would be reflected in cost of revenues for such period.

Impairment of Intangible Assets and Long-Lived Assets. We periodically evaluate our intangible assets and long-lived assets (mainly property and equipment) in all of our reporting units for potential impairment indicators in accordance with ASC 360, “Property, Plant and Equipment”, or “ASC 360”. Our judgments regarding the existence of impairment indicators are based on legal factors, market conditions, operational performance and prospects of our acquired businesses and investments. Our long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of the assets to the future undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by the assets. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets. In measuring the recoverability of assets, we are required to make estimates and judgments in assessing our future cash flows which derive from the estimated useful life of our current primary assets, and compare that with the carrying amount of the assets. Additional significant estimates used by management in the methodologies employed to assess the recoverability of our long-lived assets include estimates of future short-term and long-term growth rates, useful lives of assets, market acceptance of products and services, our success in winning bids and other judgmental assumptions, which are also affected by factors detailed in our risk factors section in this annual report.

During 2018 and 2017, we did not identify any impairment losses of long-lived assets. Future events could cause us to conclude that impairment indicators exist, and that additional long-lived assets and intangible assets associated with our acquired businesses are impaired. Any resulting impairment loss could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.

Goodwill. Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price in a business combination over the fair value of the net tangible and intangible assets acquired. Under ASC 350 “Intangibles - Goodwill and Others”, or ASC 350, goodwill is not amortized, but rather is subject to an annual impairment test. ASC 350 requires goodwill to be tested for impairment at least annually or between annual tests in certain circumstances, and written off if and to the extent it is impaired. We conduct our impairment testing in the fourth quarter of each year, or more often if there are indicators of impairment present. We first assess qualitative factors, for all of our reporting units, to determine whether it is necessary to perform the quantitative goodwill impairment test. If the qualitative assessment does not result in a more likely than not indication of impairment, no further impairment testing is required, otherwise the goodwill is tested for impairment by comparing the fair value of the reporting unit with its carrying value. Fair value is determined using discounted cash flows. Significant estimates used in the fair value methodologies include estimates of future cash flows, future growth rates and the weighted average cost of capital of the reporting units.

In 2018 and 2017, following an improvement in the Mobility Solutions segment results, we performed a qualitative assessment and concluded that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting units is less than their carrying amounts and accordingly it is unnecessary to perform the two-step quantitative goodwill impairment test. In 2016, we performed both qualitative and quantitative assessment and concluded that no impairment of goodwill needs to be recorded.

Legal and Other Contingencies. We are currently involved in certain legal and other proceedings and are also aware of certain tax and other legal exposures relating to our business. We are required to assess the likelihood of any adverse judgments or outcomes of these proceedings or contingencies as well as potential ranges of probable losses. A determination of the amount of accruals required, if any, for these contingencies is made after careful analysis.

Liabilities related to legal proceedings, demands and claims are recorded in accordance with ASC 450, “Contingencies”, or ASC 450, which defines a contingency as “an existing condition, situation, or set of circumstances involving uncertainty as to possible gain or loss to an enterprise that will ultimately be resolved when one or more future events occur or fail to occur.” In accordance with ASC 450, accruals for exposures or contingencies are being provided when the expected outcome is probable and when the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. It is possible, however, that future results of operations for any particular quarter or annual period could be materially affected by changes in our assumptions, the actual outcome of such proceedings or as a result of the effectiveness of our strategies related to these proceedings.

Year Ended December 31, 2018 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2017

Revenues. Revenues for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017 for our three segments were as follows:

	Year Ended							Year Ended
	December 31,							December 31,
	2018		2017					2018			2017
	U.S. dollars in thousands				Percentage change			Percentage of revenues

Fixed Networks		144,208		116,105		24.2	%		54.1	%		41.1	%
Mobility Solutions		97,180		88,397		9.9	%		36.5	%		31.2	%
Terrestrial Infrastructure Projects		25,003		78,254		(68.0	)%		9.4	%		27.7	%
Total		266,391		282,756		(5.8	)%		100.0	%		100.0	%

Our total revenues for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017 were $266.4 million and $282.8 million, respectively. The decrease in 2018 is mainly attributable to a decrease of approximately $53.3 million in Terrestrial Infrastructure Projects revenues, largely offset by an increase of $28.1 million in Fixed Networks revenues and an increase of $8.8 million in Mobility Solutions revenues.

The decrease in Terrestrial Infrastructure Projects revenues is attributable to the expected decline in revenues as the first three awarded FITEL Regional Projects (Huancavelica, Ayacucho, Apurimac) are nearing the end of their construction phase, coupled with slower than expected progress and slower final acceptance of these projects by FITEL than we anticipated.

The increase in our Fixed Networks revenues is primarily attributable to higher sales in Latin America, especially in Colombia, North America and Asia regions mainly as a result of increased revenue from our managed satellite network services and cellular backhaul solutions deals.

The increase in Mobility Solutions revenues is primarily attributable to an increase in sales related to airborne mobility products, principally IFC products and our Wavestream products.

Gross profit. The gross profit and the gross margin of our three segments for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017 was as follows:

	Year Ended					Year Ended
	December 31,					December 31,
	2018			2017		2018			2017
	U.S. dollars in thousands					Percentage of revenues
Fixed Networks		50,463			34,185		35.0	%		29.4	%
Mobility Solutions		49,185			41,904		50.6	%		47.4	%
Terrestrial Infrastructure Projects		(5,611	)		6,406		(22.4	)%		8.2	%
Total		94,037			82,495		35.3	%		29.2	%

Our gross profit is affected year-to-year by the mix of our products sold, the mix of revenues between products and services, the regions in which we operate, the size of our transactions and the timing of when such transactions are consummated. Moreover, from time to time we may have large-scale projects which can cause material fluctuations in our gross profit. We recognize revenue from the FITEL Regional Projects using the percentage-of-completion method, and as such any changes to our estimated profits in these projects may cause material fluctuations in our gross profit. As such, we are subject to significant year-to-year fluctuations in our gross profit.

Our gross profit margin increased to 35.3% in 2018 from 29.2% in 2017. The increase in our gross profit margin in the year ended December 31, 2018 is mainly attributable to different revenue mix with substantial lower revenue volume in our Terrestrial Infrastructure Projects which is characterized by low gross profit margins compared to our other segments.

The increase in the gross profit margin of the Mobility Solutions is mainly attributable to a higher revenue volume in the year ended December 31, 2018 compared to the year ended December 31, 2017 from IFC products, which carry higher margins.

The increase in the Fixed Networks gross profit margin is mainly attributable to higher revenue volume and different revenue mix, specifically increased revenues from our cellular backhaul solutions which have higher margins, with approximately the same level of fixed expenses in the year ended December 31, 2018, compared to the year ended December 31, 2017.

In the Terrestrial Infrastructure Projects, the decrease in the gross profit margin is mainly attributable to a delay in some of our FITEL Regional Projects which resulted in additional project costs and lower revenue in 2018.

Operating expenses:

	Year Ended
	December 31,
	2018		2017
	U.S. dollars in thousands				Percentage change

Operating expenses:
Research and development, net		33,023		28,014		17.9	%
Selling and marketing		22,706		23,759		(4.4	)%
General and administrative		17,024		19,861		(14.2	)%
Total operating expenses		72,753		71,634		1.6	%

Our research and development expenses are incurred by our Fixed Networks and Mobility Solutions. Research and development expenses, net increased by approximately $5 million in 2018 compared to 2017. The increase in expenses is related to our increased investments in R&D efforts in the Mobility Solutions to support our growing business needs, especially due to the increase in headcount and salary related expenses and subcontractor expenses.

Selling and marketing expenses decreased by approximately $1.1 million in the year ended December 31, 2018 compared to the year ended December 31, 2017. This decrease is mainly due to a decrease in variable expenses and in amortization expenses since we finished amortizing part of our intangible assets, partially offset by an increase in salary related expenses due to additional headcount and to higher travel expenses.

General and administrative expenses decreased by approximately $2.8 million in the year ended December 31, 2018 compared to the year ended December 31, 2017. This decrease is mainly attributable to lower bad debt expenses in 2018 as we managed to collect some of our old debts in the year ended December 31, 2018.

Financial expenses, net. In the year ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, we had financial expenses of approximately $4.3 million.

Taxes on income. Taxes on income are dependent upon where our profits are generated, such as the location and taxation of our subsidiaries as well as changes in deferred tax assets and liabilities recorded mainly as part of business combinations and changes in valuation allowance attributable to changes in our profit estimates in different regions. In the year ended December 31, 2018 we had a tax benefit of approximately $1.4 million compared to tax benefit of approximately $0.2 million in the year ended December 31, 2017. During the year ended December 31, 2018, our U.S. subsidiary determined that the positive evidence outweighs the negative evidence for deferred tax assets and concluded that these deferred tax assets are realizable on a "more likely than not" basis. This determination was mainly due to expected future results of positive operations and earnings history.

Year Ended December 31, 2017 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2016

Revenues. Revenues for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 for our three business segments were as follows:

	Year Ended							Year Ended
	December 31,							December 31,
	2017		2016					2017			2016
	U.S. dollars in thousands				Percentage change			Percentage of revenues

Fixed Networks		116,105		124,930		(7.1	)%		41.1	%		44.7	%
Mobility Solutions		88,397		62,911		40.5	%		31.2	%		22.5	%
Terrestrial Infrastructure projects		78,254		91,710		(14.7	)%		27.7	%		32.8	%
Total		282,756		279,551		1.1	%		100.0	%		100.0	%

Our total revenues for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 were $282.8 million and $279.6 million, respectively. The increase in 2017 is mainly attributable to an increase of approximately $25.5 million in Mobility Solutions revenues, largely offset by decreases of $13.5 million in Terrestrial Infrastructure Projects revenues and $8.8 million in Fixed Networks revenues.

The increase in Mobility Solutions revenues is primarily attributable to an increase in sales related to airborne mobility products, principally IFC products and our Wavestream products.

The decrease in Terrestrial Infrastructure Projects revenues is attributable to decreased revenues from the FITEL Regional Projects which we were awarded in 2015. We began deploying the first three projects during 2015 and the fourth in 2016 (we were awarded two additional projects in 2018). The four FITEL Regional Projects awarded in 2015 are expected to generate revenues of approximately $393 million over a period of approximately 14-15 years. All construction revenues are accounted as Terrestrial Infrastructure Projects revenues.

The decrease in our Fixed Networks revenues is primarily attributable to lower sales in the Asia Pacific and China regions partially offset by higher revenues in the Latin America region.

Gross profit. The gross profit and the gross margin of our three business segments for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 was as follows:

	Year Ended				Year Ended
	December 31,				December 31,
	2017		2016		2017			2016
	U.S. dollars in thousands				Percentage of revenues

Fixed Networks		34,185		39,944		29.4	%		32.0	%
Mobility Solutions		41,904		21,949		47.4	%		34.9	%
Terrestrial Infrastructure projects		6,406		13,597		8.2	%		14.8	%
Total		82,495		75,490		29.2	%		27.0	%

Our gross profit margin increased to 29.2% in 2017 from 27% in 2016. The increase in our gross profit margin in the year ended December 31, 2017 is mainly attributable to substantial higher revenue volume in our Mobility Solutions segment which is characterized by higher gross profit margins compared to our other segments. This increase was partially offset by a decrease in our gross profit margin in the Terrestrial Infrastructure Projects and Fixed Networks segments.

The increase in the gross profit margin of the Mobility Solutions is mainly attributable to different revenue mix and higher revenue volume in the year ended December 31, 2017 compared to the year ended December 31, 2016.

The decrease in the Fixed Networks gross profit margin is mainly attributable to lower revenue volume and a slightly higher fixed expenses level in the year ended December 31, 2017, compared to the year ended December 31, 2016.

In the Terrestrial Infrastructure Projects, the decrease in the gross profit margin is mainly attributable to the fact that in 2017 we recognized a higher portion of our revenue from projects which carry lower margins and in addition a delay in some of our FITEL Regional Projects resulted in additional project costs and lower revenue in the year ended December 31, 2017 compared to the year ended December 31, 2016.

Operating expenses:

	Year Ended
	December 31,
	2017		2016
	U.S. dollars in thousands				Percentage change

Operating expenses:
Research and development, net		28,014		24,853		12.7	%
Selling and marketing		23,759		23,411		1.5	%
General and administrative		19,861		26,471		(25	)%
Total operating expenses		71,634		74,735		4.1	%

Our research and development expenses are incurred by our Fixed Networks and Mobility Solutions. Research and development expenses, net increased by approximately $3.2 million in 2017 compared to 2016. The increase in expenses is related to our increased investments in R&D efforts in the Mobility Solutions segment to support our growing business, especially due to the increase in headcount and salary related expenses.

Selling and marketing expenses increased by approximately $0.3 million in the year ended December 31, 2017 compared to the year ended December 31, 2016, mainly as a result an increase in variable expenses and subcontractor expenses, offset partially by lower amortization expenses.

General and administrative expenses decreased by approximately $6.6 million in the year ended December 31, 2017 compared to the year ended December 31, 2016. This decrease is mainly attributable an accrual for bad debt recorded in 2016 related to a governmental customer in Venezuela arising from the worsening economic situation and the credit downgrade in that country and to lower legal expenses due to the conclusion of trade secrets litigation that we initiated in 2015 against former employees in the U.S.

Financial expenses, net. In the year ended December 31, 2017, we had financial expenses of approximately $4.3 million compared to financial expenses of approximately $4.8 million in 2016. The decrease in our financial expenses is primarily attributable to lower bank charges, surety and guaranty expenses, mainly related to our projects in Latin America.

Taxes on income. Taxes on income are dependent upon where our profits are generated, such as the location and taxation of our subsidiaries as well as changes in deferred tax assets and liabilities recorded mainly as part of business combinations. In the year ended December 31, 2017 we had a tax benefit of approximately $0.2 million compared to tax expenses of approximately $1.3 million in the year ended December 31, 2016.

Variability of Quarterly Operating Results

Our revenues and profitability may vary from quarter to quarter and in any given year, depending primarily on the sales mix of our family of products and the mix of the various components of the products, sale prices, and production costs, as well as on entering into new service contracts, the termination of existing service contracts, or different profitability levels between different service contracts. Sales of our products to a customer typically consist of numerous VSATs and related hub equipment, SSPAs, BUCs, and low-profile antennas, which carry varying sales prices and margins.

Annual and quarterly fluctuations in our results of operations may be caused by the timing and composition of orders by our customers and the timing of our ability to recognize revenues. Our future results may also be affected by a number of factors, including our ability to continue to develop, introduce and deliver new and enhanced products on a timely basis and expand into new product offerings at competitive prices, to integrate our recent acquisitions, to anticipate effectively customer demands and to manage future inventory levels in line with anticipated demand. Our results may also be affected by currency exchange rate fluctuations and economic conditions in the geographical areas in which we operate. In addition, our revenues may vary significantly from quarter to quarter as a result of, among other factors, the timing of new product announcements and releases by our competitors and us. We cannot be certain that revenues, gross profit and net income (or loss) in any particular quarter will not vary from the preceding or comparable quarters. Our expense levels are based, in part, on expectations as to future revenues. If revenues are below expectations, operating results are likely to be adversely affected. In addition, a substantial portion of our expenses are fixed (e.g. space segment, lease payments) and adjusting expenses in the event revenues drop unexpectedly often takes considerable time. As a result, we believe that period-to-period comparisons of our results of operations are not necessarily meaningful and should not be relied upon as indications of future performance. Due to all of the foregoing factors, it is possible that in some future quarters our revenues or operating results will be below the expectations of public market analysts or investors. In such event, the market price of our shares would likely be materially adversely affected.

Conditions in Israel

We are organized under the laws of the State of Israel, where we also maintain our headquarters and a material portion of our laboratory capacity and principal research and development facilities. See Item 3.D. “Key Information – Risk Factors – Risks Relating to Our Location in Israel” for a description of governmental, economic, fiscal, monetary or political factors that have materially affected or could materially affect our operations.

Impact of Inflation and Currency Fluctuations

While most of our sales and service contracts are in U.S. dollars or are linked to the U.S. dollar and most of our expenses are in U.S. dollars and NIS, portions of our projects in Latin America as well as our operation in Australia, Asia and Europe are linked to their respective local currencies. The foreign exchange risks are often significant due to fluctuations in local currencies relative to the U.S. dollar.

The influence on the U.S. dollar cost of our operations in Israel relates primarily to the cost of salaries in Israel, which are paid in NIS and constitute a substantial portion of our expenses in NIS. In 2018, the rate of inflation in Israel was 0.8% and the U.S. dollar depreciated in relation to the NIS at a rate of 8.1%, from NIS 3.467 per $1 on December 31, 2017 to NIS 3.748 per $1 on December 31, 2018. If future inflation in Israel exceeds the devaluation of the NIS against the U.S. dollar or if the timing of such devaluation lags behind increases in inflation in Israel, our results of operations may be materially adversely affected. In 2018 and 2017, in order to limit these risks, we entered into hedging agreements to cover certain of our NIS to U.S. dollar exchange rate exposures.

Our monetary balances that are not linked to the U.S. dollar impacted our financial expenses during the 2018 and 2017 periods. This is due to heavy fluctuations in currency rates in certain regions in which we do business, mainly in Latin America, Australia and Europe. There can be no assurance that our results of operations will not be materially adversely affected by other currency fluctuations in the future.

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). The standard replaced the revenue recognition guidance in U.S. GAAP under Topic 605, and was required to be applied retrospectively to each prior period presented, or applied using a modified retrospective method with the cumulative effect recognized in the beginning retained earnings during the period of initial application. Subsequently, the FASB issued several additional ASUs related to ASU No. 2014-09, collectively they are referred to as the “new revenue standards”, which became effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2018.

On January 1, 2018, we adopted Topic 606 using the modified retrospective method for contracts which were not completed as of January 1, 2018. Under the modified retrospective method, we recognized the cumulative effect of initially applying the new revenue standard as an adjustment to the opening balance of accumulated deficit. This adjustment did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. The Standard requires the deferral and amortization of “incremental” costs incurred to obtain a contract. Our primary contract acquisition costs are sales commissions. Under Topic 605, we expensed sales commissions as incurred while under the Topic 606 such costs will be classified as a contract asset and amortized over a period that approximates the timing of revenue recognition on the underlying contracts. Adoption of the standard resulted in an increase to our other current assets and accrued expenses and decrease in our accumulated deficit in an amount of $2,004, $483 and $1,521, respectively. This effect is due to the change in accounting for contract acquisition costs. See Note 2z, “Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements" to the consolidated financial statements for more details.

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, “Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash”, which requires companies to include amounts generally described as restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents in cash and cash equivalents when reconciling beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the statement of cash flows. This ASU is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017. We adopted this standard effective December 31, 2017 using the retrospective transition method, as required by the new standard.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). The standard requires lessees to recognize almost all leases on the balance sheet as a right-of-use asset and a lease liability and requires leases to be classified as either an operating or a finance type lease. The standard excludes leases of intangible assets or inventory. Leases with a term of 12 months or less will be accounted for in a manner similar to the accounting under existing guidance for operating leases today. The new standard requires lessors to account for leases using an approach that is substantially equivalent to existing guidance for sales-type leases, direct financing leases and operating leases. ASC 842 supersedes the previous leases standard, ASC 840, "Leases". Topic 842 becomes effective for our company beginning January 1, 2019. We expect that the adoption of the standard will have an impact of approximately $5.6 million on our consolidated balance sheet for the recognition of the right-of-use assets and lease liabilities related to our operating leases. The standard is not expected to have a material impact on our company’s results of operations or cash flows. We are continuing our assessment of the impact that the adoption of this standard, will have on our consolidated financial statements and disclosures.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Accounting for Goodwill Impairment ("ASU 2017-04"). ASU 2017-04 eliminates Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test, which requires the calculation of the implied fair value of goodwill by assigning the fair value of a reporting unit to all of its assets and liabilities as if that reporting unit had been acquired in a business combination. Instead, an entity will compare the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount and recognize an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit's fair value. ASU 2017-04 is effective for annual or any interim goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. We are currently evaluating the expected impact of the standard on our consolidated financial statements.

In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities, which expands the activities that qualify for hedge accounting and simplifies the rules for reporting hedging transactions. The standard is effective for our company beginning January 1, 2019. Early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the expected impact of the standard on our consolidated financial statements.

B.	Liquidity and Capital Resources

Since our inception, our financing requirements have been met through cash from funds generated by private equity investments, public offerings, issuances of convertible subordinate notes, bank loans and credit facilities, operations, as well as funding from research and development grants. We have used available funds primarily for working capital, capital expenditures and strategic investments.

As of December 31, 2018, we had cash and cash equivalents of $67.4 million, short-term and long-term restricted cash of $32.5 million and short-term restricted cash held in trustees’ accounts of $4.3 million. As of December 31, 2017, we had cash and cash equivalents of $53 million, short-term and long-term restricted cash of $29.5 million, short-term restricted cash held in trustees’ accounts of $4.3 million.

In March 2016, we concluded a rights offering, raising gross proceeds of approximately $35.3 million and issuing 9,874,170 ordinary shares. Under the rights offering we granted, at no charge to the holders of our ordinary shares as of the record date for the rights offering, one non-transferable subscription right to purchase two ordinary shares for each nine (9) ordinary shares owned at a price of $7.16 (reflecting a price of $3.58 per share).

We believe that our working capital is sufficient for our present requirements over the next 12 months.

As of December 31, 2018, our long-term debt was approximately $12.6 million, comprised of long-term loans of $8.1 million and current maturities of long-term loans of $4.5 million. The long term loans primarily consist of a loan that was received in December 2010 in the amount of $40 million from First International Bank of Israel, or FIBI, which bears interest of 4.77%. As of December 31, 2018, the principal outstanding balance of this loan was $12 million.

In addition, in connection with the FITEL Regional Projects, we were required to post certain advance payment guarantees and performance guarantees with FITEL. These requirements were principally satisfied through surety bonds issued by Amtrust Europe Limited, or Amtrust, for the benefit of FITEL, through a Peruvian bank as well as through the issuance of bank guarantees by FIBI and by The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, or HSBC (also through a Peruvian bank). Under the arrangements with FIBI, HSBC and Amtrust, we are required to observe certain conditions, including the requirement to maintain an amount of restricted cash. As of December 31, 2018, we were in compliance with these requirements. Under the provisions of our agreements with FIBI and HSBC, we undertook to satisfy certain financial and other covenants. As of December 31, 2018, we are in compliance with these covenants. Our credit and guarantee agreements also contain various restrictions and limitations that may impact us. These restrictions and limitations relate to incurrence of indebtedness, contingent obligations, negative pledges, liens, mergers and acquisitions, change of control, asset sales, dividends and distributions, redemption or repurchase of equity interests, certain debt payments and modifications of loans and investments. The agreements also stipulate a floating charge on our assets to secure fulfillment of our obligations to FIBI and HSBC as well as other pledges, including a fixed pledge, on certain assets and property.

The following table summarizes our cash flows for the periods presented:

	Years Ended December 31
	2018			2017			2016
	U.S. dollars in thousands
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities		32,017			(17,223	)		(36,879	)
Net cash used in investing activities		(10,759	)		(3,692	)		(4,307	)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities		(2,321	)		(4,012	)		23,921
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash		(1,490	)		51			981
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash		17,447			(24,876	)		(16,284	)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of the period		86,757			111,633			127,917
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of the period..		104,204			86,757			111,633

Our cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash increased by approximately $17.4 million during the year ended December 31, 2018 as a result of the following:

Operating activities. Cash provided by our operating activities was approximately $32 million in 2018 compared to cash used in operating activities of approximately $17.2 million in 2017. The cash provided by our operating activities in 2018 was primarily attributable to our improved operating results, including payments received from our operations in Peru in 2018.

Investing activities. Cash used in investing activities was approximately $10.8 million in 2018 compared to approximately $3.7 million in 2017. The changes in our cash in 2018 derived from purchase of property and equipment.

Financing activities. Cash used in financing activities was approximately $2.3 million in 2018 compared to cash used in financing activities of approximately $4 million in 2017. The cash used in financing activities are mainly repayments of long term loans, partially offset by cash paid to us for exercise of stock options.

Our cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash decreased by approximately $24.9 million during the year ended December 31, 2017 as a result of the following:

Operating activities. Cash used in our operating activities was approximately $17.2 million in 2017 compared to cash used in operating activities of approximately $36.9 million in 2016. The cash used by our operating activities in 2017 was primarily attributable to our improved operating results in 2017.

Investing activities. Cash used in investing activities was approximately $3.7 million in 2017 compared to cash provided by investing activities of approximately $4.3 million in 2016. The changes in our cash in 2017 derived from the purchase of property and equipment.

Financing activities. Cash used in financing activities was approximately $4 million in 2017 compared to cash provided by financing activities of approximately $23.9 million in 2016. The cash used in financing activities are mainly repayments of long term loans.

C.	Research and Development

We devote significant resources to research and development projects designed to enhance our hubs, VSATs, Satellite Communication on-the-move antennas and SSPAs products and to multiply the applications for which they can be used. In particular, we continue to invest into expanding our portfolio to address mobility applications, both IFC and maritime as well as cellular backhaul solutions. We intend to continue to devote substantial resources to complete the development of certain features, including improving functionality, support higher throughput, improving space segment utilization and network resilience, thereby contributing to reducing the cost of proposed solutions for our customers.

We conduct our research and development activities in Israel, Bulgaria, Moldova, the United States (California) and Singapore. Our Bulgarian center focuses on developments related to our Satellite Communication on-the-move antennas, or SOTM antennas. Our facilities in California and Singapore are dedicated to the continuing design and development of SSPAs. Our facilities in Moldova and Israel work on research and development of VSATs, baseband equipment and network management. A dedicated group in our R&D center in Israel develops state-of-the-art Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits, or RFICs, for our electronically-steered SOTM antennas.

In 2018, we invested heavily in development of the SOTM antennas for IFC applications. In addition, we invested in development of our electronically-steered SOTM antennas. Our ER6000 dual band Ka and Ku antenna successfully passed DO-160 qualification.

We devoted significant research and development resources over the last few years to the development of our SkyEdge family of products, including development of our own proprietary hardware platforms for both baseband equipment and software. In 2018, we invested heavily in improving space spectral efficiency, including release of the new VSAT platform supporting advanced coding schemas, in developing new enhanced functionality for IFC application and global bandwidth management. We continued to invest in optimizing solutions for cellular backhaul, improving throughput, supported security and resilience. We develop our own network software as well as software for our VSATs.

Our software and our internally developed hardware are proprietary and we have implemented protective measures both of a legal and practical nature. We have obtained and registered patents in the U.S. and in various other countries in which we offer our products and services. We rely upon the copyright laws to protect against unauthorized copying of the object code of our software and upon copyright and trade secret laws for the protection of the source code of our software. We derive additional protection for our software by generally licensing only the object code to customers and keeping the source code confidential. In addition, we enter into confidentiality agreements with our customers and other business partners to protect our software technology and trade secrets. We have also obtained trademark registrations in the U.S. and various other countries for additional protection of our intellectual property. Despite all of these measures, it is possible that competitors could copy certain aspects of our technology or obtain information that we regard as a trade secret in violation of our legal rights.

We participate in various programs under which we have received and are eligible to receive research and development grants for financing research and development projects in Israel, pursuant to the provisions of The Encouragement of Industrial Research and Development Law, 1984. We are also participating in grant research programs of the European Union, Horizon 2020 and from time to time we participate in programs through bilateral R&D foundations such as Canada Israel R&D foundation (CIIRD). With respect to some of our funding programs, we are obligated to pay royalties from the revenues derived from products developed within the framework of such programs. However, most of our programs are non-royalty bearing programs.

The following table sets forth, for the years indicated, our gross research and development expenditures, the portion of such expenditures which was funded mainly by non-royalty bearing grants and the net cost of our research and development activities:

	Years Ended December 31,
	2018		2017		2016
	(U.S. dollars in thousands)
Gross research and development costs		34,449		29,433		26,477
Less:
Grants		1,426		1,419		1,624

Research and development costs - net		33,023		28,014		24,853

D.	Trend Information

The satellite communications industry is moving toward HTS technology that employs multi-beam transmission for more efficient use of space segment. In addition to GEO-HTS, new satellite constellations of HTS-MEO and HTS-LEO (NGSO) are scheduled to be launched in the coming years. With the scheduled launch of numerous HTS, we believe that development of products using this technology for the different satellites and constellations will be an important competitive factor in the satellite communications market. We are continuing our efforts to enhance our current products and develop new ones to support the advantages of this technology.

The continued increase in HTS supply is projected to produce a reduction in bandwidth price. This reduction is expected to make satellite communications economically viable for more broadband, cellular and mobility applications. Accordingly, satellite communications are expected to economically increase cellular coverage and service in rural, metro-edge and metro areas in developed and developing countries.

We continue to focus on the mobility trend which has been driven by the projected growth of mobility applications, especially on airplanes, and also on trains and seagoing vessels, as well as defense-related applications.

In the past few years the satellite communications market has experienced increasing competition both from within its sector and from competing communication technologies. Specifically, the expansion of cellular coverage in rural areas worldwide, increased terrestrial infrastructures as well as the advancement of wireless technologies, increases the options for our potential and existing customers. In addition, the number of satellite communications providers in the market has increased and prices of technologies continue to decline. Another development in our industry is the increasing demand for complete solutions which encompass far more than a single platform of a communications solution.

We believe that the political environment in Israel could continue to prevent certain countries from doing business with us and this, in addition to the increased competition and reduced prices in the telecommunications industry overall, may have an adverse effect on our business. Given all of the above, we cannot guarantee or predict what our sales will be, what trends will develop, and if any changes in our business and marketing strategy will be implemented.

E.	Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

At times, we guarantee the performance of our work to some of our customers, primarily government entities. Guarantees are often required for our performance during the installation and operational periods of long-term rural telephony projects such as in Latin America, and for the performance of other projects (government and corporate) throughout the rest of the world. The guarantees typically expire when certain operational milestones are met. In addition, from time to time, we provide corporate guarantees to guarantee the performance of our subsidiaries. No guarantees have ever been exercised against us.

In order to guarantee our performance obligations and the down payment we received under the FITEL Regional Projects, we provided bank guarantees by FIBI and by HSBC and surety bonds by Amtrust through a Peruvian bank. The aggregate amount of the bank guarantees issued on our behalf by HSBC and FIBI as of December 31, 2018, was approximately $98.6 million. The surety bonds issued by Amtrust on our behalf are in the amount of approximately $28.6 million. We have provided HSBC and FIBI with various pledges and have deposited approximately $29.1 million held as restricted cash as collateral for HSBC and FIBI guarantees.

Our credit and guarantee agreements also contain various covenants, restrictions and limitations that may impact us. These covenants, restrictions and limitations relate to incurrence of indebtedness, contingent obligations, negative pledges, liens, mergers and acquisitions, change of control, asset sales, dividends and distributions, redemption or repurchase of equity interests, certain debt payments and modifications of loans and investments. The agreements also stipulate a floating charge on our assets to secure fulfillment of our obligations to FIBI and HSBC as well as other pledges, including a fixed pledge, on certain assets and property. As of December 31, 2018, the aggregate amount of bank guarantees and surety bonds from insurance companies outstanding to secure our various performance obligations was approximately $149.5 million, including an aggregate of approximately $136 million on behalf of our subsidiaries in Peru. We have restricted cash of approximately $32.4 million as collateral for these guarantees.

In order to guarantee our performance obligations for our current activities in Colombia, we purchased insurance from an insurance company in Colombia to guarantee our various contractual and other obligations, including our performance and our employee salary and benefit costs, of approximately 133.5 billion Colombian Pesos (approximately $41.08 million based on the representative rate of exchange published as of December 31, 2018).

F.	Tabular Disclosure of Contractual Obligations

The following table summarizes our minimum contractual obligations as of December 31, 2018 and the effect we expect them to have on our liquidity and cash flow in future periods:

Contractual Obligations	Payments due by period (in U.S. dollars in thousands)
	Total		2019		2020-2021		2022-2023		2024
Long-term loans *		12,556		4,458		8,098		-		-
Operating lease (mainly offices)		4,381		1,973		1,470		938		-
Space segment services		15,970		8,367		7,603		-		-
Purchase commitments (mainly inventory)		18,418		18,418		-		-		-
Total contractual cash obligations		51,325		33,216		17,171		938		-

(*) Future interest payments are not included due to variability in interest rates.

ITEM 6:

DIRECTORS AND SENIOR MANAGEMENT

A.	Directors and Senior Management

The following table sets forth the name, age, position(s) and a brief account of the business experience of each of the directors and executive officers:

Name	Age	Position(s)
Dov Baharav	68	Chairman of the Board of Directors
Yona Ovadia	59	Chief Executive Officer
Amiram Boehm (3)	47	Director
Dafna Cohen (1)(2)(4)(5)	49	Director
Ishay Davidi	57	Director
Amir Ofek (3)	43	Director
Aylon (Lonny) Rafaeli (1) (2)(4)	65	Director
Meir Shamir (3)	67	Director
Dafna Sharir (1)(4)	50	Director
Elyezer Shkedy (1)(2)(4)(5)	60	Director
Adi Sfadia	48	Chief Financial Officer
Yuval Shani	53	Chief Operating Officer
Michal Aharonov	47	Vice President, Global Broadband Networks
Ron Levin	44	Vice President, Mobility and Global Accounts
Alik Shimelmits	57	Vice President, Research & Development
Nirit Barnea	51	Vice President, Human Resources

(1)

Member of our Audit Committee.

(2)

Member of our Compensation Committee.

(3)

“Independent Director” under the applicable NASDAQ Marketplace Rules (see explanation below)

(4)

“Independent Director” under the applicable NASDAQ Marketplace Rules and the applicable rules of the SEC (see explanation below)

(5)

“External Director” as required by Israel’s Companies Law (see explanation below)

Dov Baharav has served as the Chairman of our Board of Directors since May 2014 and also served as our interim Chief Executive Officer from May 2015 until March 31, 2016. Mr. Baharav has served as the chairman of the board of directors of Cyberint Inc., a provider of cyber security services and products solutions, since October 2014. Mr. Baharav has served as a member of the board of directors of Mellanox Technologies Ltd., a supplier of end-to-end InfiniBand and Ethernet connectivity solutions, since November 2010 till October 2018. Mr. Baharav served as the chairman of the board of directors of Israel Aerospace Industries, Ltd., a defense and civil aerospace technology company, from July 2011 until October 2013. Mr. Baharav served as a member of the Board of directors of Allot Communications Ltd., a global provider of intelligent broadband solutions, from March 2013 until July 2014. From July 2002 until November 2010, Mr. Baharav served as president and chief executive officer of Amdocs Limited, a communications services company. He also served as a member of Amdocs’ board of directors and executive committee from July 2002 until November 2010. Mr. Baharav joined Amdocs in 1991 as vice president and then became president of Amdocs’ principal U.S. subsidiary, Amdocs, Inc., and served as chief financial officer of Amdocs from 1995 until June 2002. From 1983 until 1991, Mr. Baharav served as chief operating officer of Oprotech Ltd., an electro-optical device company. Mr. Baharav is Chairman of the scholarship fund of the College of Management Academic Studies in Rishon Lezion, Israel. Mr. Baharav holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics and Accounting, as well as an M.B.A. degree from Tel Aviv University, Israel.

Yona Ovadia joined our company in March 2015 as Vice President, Services and Commercial Division. He has served as our Chief Executive Officer since March 31, 2016. Prior to joining our company, Mr. Ovadia served as Group President & Head of Services Group at Amdocs from 2013 to 2015. Prior to such time, from 2010 until 2013 Mr. Ovadia served as Head of Delivery & Managed Services at Amdocs Ltd. and prior thereto he served in various executive positions at Amdocs, mainly in the areas of services and managed services, with a position as management member since 1997. Mr. Ovadia holds a B.Sc. degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from Tel Aviv University, Israel.

Amiram Boehm has served on our Board of Directors since December 2012. Mr. Boehm has been a Partner in the FIMI Opportunity Funds, Israel’s largest group of private equity funds, since 2004. Mr. Boehm serves as the Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer of FITE GP (2004), and as a director of Ham-Let (Israel-Canada) Ltd., Hadera Paper Ltd (TASE)., Rekah Pharmaceuticals Ltd (TASE), Pharm-up Ltd (TASE)., TAT Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ, TASE), PCB Technologies Ltd. (TASE) and DIMAR Ltd, DelekSon Ltd and Galam Ltd. Mr. Boehm previously served as a director of Ormat Technologies Inc. (NYSE, TASE), Scope Metal Trading, Ltd. (TASE), Inter Industries, Ltd. (TASE), Global Wire Ltd. (TASE), Telkoor Telecom Ltd. (TASE) and Solbar Industries Ltd. (previously traded on the TASE). Prior to joining FIMI, from 1999 until 2004, Mr. Boehm served as Head of Research of Discount Capital Markets, the investment arm of Israel Discount Bank. Mr. Boehm holds a B.A. degree in Economics and a LL.B. degree from Tel Aviv University, Israel and a Joint M.B.A. degree from Northwestern University and Tel Aviv University, Israel.

Dafna Cohen has served on our Board of Directors as an external director (within the meaning of the Israeli Companies Law) since December 2014. Ms. Cohen is the Head of Business Control and Investor Relations of EL-AL Israel Airlines Ltd. (TASE) and also serves as an independent business and financial advisor. Ms. Cohen served as Director of Global Treasury of MediaMind Technologies Inc. (previously traded on NASDAQ) from 2010 to 2011. Prior to that, Ms. Cohen served as a Director of Investments and as a Treasurer of Emblaze Ltd. from 2005 to 2009 (London Stock Exchange). Prior to that, Ms. Cohen served as an Investment Manager for Leumi Partners and as a manager and a dealer at the derivatives Sector of Bank Leumi. Ms. Cohen previously served as a member of board of directors of Formula Systems (1985) Ltd. (NASDAQ and TASE) from 2009 until January 2019, XTL Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. (NASDAQ and TASE) from 2009 to 2015, Europort Ltd. (TASE) and of Inventech Central Ltd. (TASE). Ms. Cohen holds a B.A. degree in Economics and Political Science and a M.B.A. degree in Finance and Accounting, both from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.

Ishay Davidi has served on our Board of Directors since December 2012. Mr. Davidi is the Founder and has served as Chief Executive Officer of the FIMI Opportunity Funds, Israel’s largest group of private equity funds, since 1996. Mr. Davidi currently serves as Chairman of the board of directors of Inrom Industries Ltd., Hadera Paper Ltd. (TASE) and Polyram plastics, Dimar Cutting Tools, and as director at Ham-Let (Israel-Canada) Ltd. (TASE), Rekah Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (TASE), Tadir-Gan Precision materials (TASE), C. Mer Industries Ltd. (TASE), GI Ltd., (TASE), SOS Ltd., DelekSon Ltd., Bet Shemesh Engines Holdings (TASE) and P.C.B Technologies Ltd. Mr. Davidi previously served as the Chairman of the board of directors of Retalix (previously traded on NASDAQ and TASE) from August 2008 until January 2010, of Tefron Ltd. (New York Stock Exchange and TASE) and of Tadir-Gan (TASE), and as a director at Pharm Up Ltd (TASE), Ormat Industries Ltd. (previously traded on TASE), Retalix, Tadiran Communications Ltd. (TASE), Lipman Electronic Engineering Ltd. (NASDAQ and TASE), Merhav Ceramic and Building Materials Center Ltd. (TASE), TAT Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ and TASE), Orian C.M. Ltd. (TASE), Ophir Optronics Ltd., Overseas Commerce Ltd, (TASE), Scope Metals Group Ltd. (TASE) and Formula Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ and TASE). Prior to establishing FIMI, from 1993 until 1996, Mr. Davidi was the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Tikvah Fund, a private Israeli investment fund. From 1992 until 1993 Mr. Davidi was the Chief Executive Officer of Zer Science Industries Ltd., a developer of diagnostics equipment for the healthcare industry. Mr. Davidi holds a B.Sc. degree in Industrial and Management Engineering from Tel Aviv University, Israel, and a M.B.A. degree from Bar Ilan University, Israel.

Amir Ofek has served on our Board of Directors since December 2014. Mr. Ofek is President of Cyberint Inc., a provider of cyber security services and products solutions, and prior was its Chief Executive Office for over 3 years from January 2016 until February 2019. Mr. Ofek has served as a director on the board of Cyberint since September 2014 until 2018. Mr. Ofek was a partner at Baharav Ventures Ltd. (“BVL”), a company wholly owned by the Chairman of our Board of Directors, Mr. Baharav from 2014 until 2016. Prior to joining BVL, Mr. Ofek worked at Amdocs Inc., the leading BSS/OSS provider, from 2006 to 2014, where he served as VP Client Business Executive SingTel Group at Amdocs, based in Singapore from 2009. Prior to this role, Mr. Ofek served as Director of Management Services at Amdocs from 2007 to 2009 and in the Corporate Strategy unit from 2006 to 2007. Before joining Amdocs in 2006, Mr. Ofek worked for Elbit Systems Ltd., a leading aerospace defense company, from 2001 to 2005. Mr. Ofek holds a BSc. degree (Cum Laude) in Industrial Engineering and Management, majoring in Information Systems from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Israel and a M.B.A. degree from the European Institute of Business Administration (INSEAD) in Fontainebleau, France.

Aylon (Lonny) Rafaeli has served on our Board of Directors since May 2016. Mr. Rafaeli is a strategy and business development manager and consultant. From 2007 through 2012, Mr. Rafaeli was Director of Business Development at MST, a concentrated photo voltaic company. Prior to joining MST, Mr. Rafaeli was Managing Partner at E. Barak Associates, a strategic consulting company. Prior to this role, Mr. Rafaeli was Chief Executive Officer of Hasbro Israel (toys). Mr. Rafaeli is a member of the board of directors of the TALI Education Fund and a veteran association of an IDF elite unit. Mr. Rafaeli also served in the past as a director of Lenox Investment and Azimuth Technologies. Mr. Rafaeli holds an Executive M.B.A. degree in Strategic Management from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.

Meir Shamir has served on our Board of Directors since May 2016. Mr. Shamir is the chief executive officer and a director of Mivtach Shamir holdings Ltd., a public company traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. Mivtach Shamir is a holding company active in spotting and initiating investments in technology and in commercial real estate development in Israel and throughout Europe, the U.S. India. Mr. Shamir served as a navigator in the Israeli Air Force. Mr. Shamir is an active philanthropist and since 2012 he has served as the Head of the Presidency of “Taglit” (Birthright Israel). Mr. Shamir holds a Business & Economics Administration degree and received an Honorary Doctorate from Bar Ilan University, Israel.

Dafna Sharir has served on our Board of Directors since May 2016. Ms. Sharir is an independent consultant in the areas of mergers and acquisitions and business development. Ms. Sharir served as Senior Vice President Investments of Ampal Corp. between 2002 and 2005. Before that she served as Director of Mergers and Acquisitions at Amdocs (until 2002). Between 1994 and 1996, Ms. Sharir worked as a tax attorney with Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York. Ms. Sharir is a director of Ormat Technologies Inc. and ECI Telecom, and served in the past as a director of Frutarom Industries Ltd. Ms. Sharir holds a B.A. degree in Economics and a LL.B degree, both from Tel Aviv University, Israel, LL.M. degree in Tax Law from New York University, and M.B.A. degree from INSEAD.

Major General (ret.) Elyezer Shkedy, has served on our Board of Directors since June 2017. Mr. Shkedy is a business development manager and consultant. From January 2010 to March 2014, Mr. Shkedy was the Chief Executive Officer of El-Al Israel Airlines. Prior to joining El-Al, Mr. Shkedy served as Commander of the Israeli Air Force, from April 2004 until May 2008, after a long career as a fighter pilot and moving up through several command positions in the Israeli Air Force. Mr. Shkedy serves as board member in Paz Oil Company, Ltd. (TASE), as chairman of the board (pro bono) at Osim Shinui Shamaym Vearetz Ltd., a company for a public cause, and as member of managing boards at several other non-profit companies and organizations. Mr. Shkedy holds an M.A. degree (with distinction) in Systems Management from NPS, the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, U.S. and a B.Sc. degree in Mathematics and Computer Science (with distinction) from Ben Gurion University in Israel.

Adi Sfadia has served as our Chief Financial Officer since November 2015. Prior to joining Gilat Mr. Sfadia served as CFO of Starhome Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Fortissimo Capital, from January 2013. From 2008 to 2013, Mr. Sfadia served as CFO of Radvision Ltd. (previously traded on NASDAQ and TASE). From 2004 until 2008, Mr. Sfadia served as Radvision’s Corporate Controller and Vice President of Finance. Prior to that, Mr. Sfadia served in several senior financial positions in Israeli companies, where he gained wide financial and managerial experience. Mr. Sfadia served five years in a public accounting position with Kost Forer Gabbay & Kasierer, a member of Ernst & Young Global. Mr. Sfadia holds a B.A. degree in Business Administration and an M.B.A. degree (magna cum laude) from The College of Management in Tel Aviv and Rishon Lezion, and is a Certified Public Accountant in Israel.

Yuval Shani serves as our Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Shani has over 20 years of executive experience in the fields of Global Operations, Supply Chain and Delivery Management. Prior to joining Gilat, Yuval served as Vice President Global Operations at Lumenis. Previously, he headed Global Operations and Manufacturing at Check Point. Mr. Shani has also worked at Microsemi as Vice President Operations and General Manager of the company’s Israeli site. During his career, Mr. Shani has served in various management positions in high growth public companies such as Nice and 3Com, and has been the lead person responsible for the implementation of operational excellence practices. Mr. Shani holds an M.B.A. degree, specializing in Finance, and a B.A. degree (cum laude) in Economics & Management, both from Manchester University.

Michal Aharonov has served as our Vice President, Global Accounts and Telecom Services since October 2015 and was promoted in August 2017 to Vice President, Global Broadband Networks. Prior to joining Gilat, from 2013 until 2015, Ms. Aharonov served as Vice President, Head of Sales and Services at Essence Group. Prior thereto, from 2008 until 2012, Ms. Aharonov served as Vice President, Global Strategic Sourcing at Amdocs, after having served since 2000 in various positions at Amdocs. Ms. Aharonov holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration focusing on financial information systems from Clark University (U.S). and a B.A. degree in Business Management and Finance from the College of Management – Academic Studies in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Ron Levin serves as our Vice President, Mobility and Global Accounts. He leads our activities in air, land and maritime mobility as well as our business with Satellite Operators on HTS/VHTS and NGSO constellations. Prior to joining Gilat, he headed Strategic Sales at ECI Telecom, a leading telecom equipment provider. Previously Mr. Levin headed Product Management at Jungo Software Technologies, a software company of home and small business gateways, which was later acquired by NDS and Cisco. Mr. Levin holds a M.Sc. degree in Management from the University of Tel Aviv and a B.Sc. degree in Computer Engineering from the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, in Israel.

Alik Shimelmits has served as our Vice President, Research and Development since May 2013. Prior to joining Gilat, from 2007 to 2013, Mr. Shimelmits served as Head of Transport Networks R&D for ECI Telecom Ltd. and prior to that as VP Research and Development for Axerra Networks Ltd. from 1999 to 2007. From 1991 to 1999, Mr. Shimelmits held various technical and managerial positions at ECI Telecom, having last served there as Associate Vice President R&D, Software Development, SDH Product Line. Mr. Shimelmits holds a M.Sc. degree in Applied Mathematics from Moscow Institute of Electronic Engineering and a B.Sc. degree in Computer Science from Moscow Institute of Chemical Engineering.

Nirit Barnea has served as our Vice President, Human Resources since June 2015. Prior to joining Gilat, from 2010 until 2014, Ms. Barnea served as the Global VP HR of 3M Attenti Ltd. (formerly DMATEK Ltd.). Prior thereto, Ms. Barnea held several senior management HR positions for various software and telecommunications companies. Ms. Barnea holds an M.A. degree in Sociology from Tel Aviv University, Israel and a B.A. degree in Economics and Business Administration from Haifa University, israel.

B.	Compensation of Directors and Officers

The following table sets forth the aggregate compensation paid to or accrued on behalf of all of our directors and officers as a group for the year ended December 31, 2018:

		Salaries, Fees, Directors’ Fees, Commissions and Bonuses ⁽¹⁾				Amounts Set Aside for Pension, Retirement and Similar Benefits
All directors and officers as a group (17 persons)⁽²⁾		$	4,082,844			$	478,069

(1)

Includes bonuses and equity-based compensation accrued in 2018, but does not include business travel, professional and business association dues and expenses reimbursed to our directors and officers, and other benefits commonly reimbursed or paid by companies in Israel.

(2)

Includes one officer that ceased to hold office during 2018.

In accordance with Israeli law requirements, the table below sets forth the compensation paid to our five most highly compensated senior office holders (as defined in the Companies Law) during or with respect to the year ended December 31, 2018, in accordance with the expenses recorded in our financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2018. We refer to the five individuals for whom disclosure is provided herein as our “Covered Executives.”

For purposes of the table and the summary below, and in accordance with the above mentioned securities regulations, “compensation” includes base salary, bonuses, equity-based compensation, retirement or termination payments, benefits and perquisites such as car, phone and social benefits and any undertaking to provide such compensation.

Summary Compensation Table
Information Regarding the Covered Executive in U.S. dollars ⁽¹⁾
Name and Principal Position⁽²⁾	Base Salary		Benefits and Perquisites⁽³⁾		Variable Compensation⁽⁴⁾		Equity-Based Compensation⁽⁵⁾		Total
Yona Ovadia, CEO		366,318		136,780		230,459		186,619		920,176
Yuval Shani, Chief Operating Officer		230,451		62,944		129,642		49,070		472,107
Adi Sfadia, CFO		218,926		62,887		105,342		50,466		437,621
Michal Aharonov, Vice President, Global Fixed Networks		218,926		53,781		92,843		35,962		401,512
Alik Shimelmits, Vice President, Research & Development		202,275		49,550		88,394		35,254		375,473

(1)	All amounts reported in the table are in terms of cost to our company, as recorded in our financial statements.
(2)	All executive officers listed in the table were employed or provided services on a full-time basis during 2018. The compensation information in the table above includes compensation accrued for full year 2018.
(3)	Amounts reported in this column include benefits and perquisites, including those mandated by applicable law. Such benefits and perquisites may include, to the extent applicable to each executive, payments, contributions and/or allocations for savings funds, pension, severance, vacation, car or car allowance, medical insurances and benefits, risk insurances (e.g., life, disability, accident), convalescence pay, payments for social security and other benefits and perquisites consistent with our guidelines, but do not include business travel, relocation, professional and business association dues and expenses reimbursed to our directors and officers.
(4)	Amounts reported in this column refer to Variable Compensation such as commission, incentive and bonus payments as recorded in our financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2018.
(5)	Amounts reported in this column represent the expense recorded in our financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2018, with respect to equity-based compensation granted to the Covered Executive.

In accordance with the approval of our shareholders and in accordance with Israeli corporate law regarding compensation of external directors, each of our non-employee directors and external directors (all of our current directors except for our Chairman of the Board of Directors) is entitled to receive annual compensation payable quarterly of approximately NIS 93,690 (currently equivalent to approximately $25,909), and an additional fee of approximately NIS 1,924 (currently equivalent to approximately $532) for each board or committee meeting attended. In addition, Board members are compensated for telephone participation in board and committee meetings in an amount of 60% of what would be received for physical attendance and for written resolutions in an amount equal to 50% of same. All the above amounts are linked to changes in the Israeli consumer price index as of September 2014 and subject to changes in the amounts payable pursuant to Israeli law from time to time.

As of December 31, 2018, our directors and executive officers as a group, consisting of 16 persons, held options to purchase an aggregate of 1,828,110 ordinary shares, having exercise prices ranging from $3.77 to $7.86. Generally, the options granted to our directors, vest over a three-year period (except in the case of our Chairman, Dov Baharav, which vest over a four-year period) and the options granted to our executive officers vest over a four-year period. The options will expire between 2020 and 2024. All of such options were awarded under our stock option plans described in Item 6E - “Directors, Senior Management and Employees - Share Ownership - 2008 Share Incentive Plan”.

Chairman Services. We and Mr. Baharav, through his controlled company, entered into an agreement dated May 20, 2014, or the Chairman Agreement, under which Mr. Baharav serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of our company. Mr. Baharav also served as interim Chief Executive Officer from May 2015 until March 2016. For his services as Chairman, since April 2016 and until May 2018, Mr. Baharav was entitled (directly or through his controlled company) to: (i) a monthly fee in the amount of NIS 44,000 (approximately $11,739); (ii) payment of the cash value of various fringe benefits, in an aggregate amount of up to NIS 18,697 (approximately $4,988) per month, which is equal to the employer’s cost that would have been incurred by us for such benefits if the Chairman served in an employee status; and (iii) full time office space and secretarial assistance and reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses incurred by him in connection with his service. In May 2014, Mr. Baharav was granted options to purchase 250,000 of our ordinary shares, at an exercise price of $5.06 per share, and in May 2015, Mr. Baharav was granted options to purchase 150,000 of our ordinary shares exercisable at a price of $6.72 per share. The options were granted under our 2008 Option Plan and vest ratably, each quarter over a four-year period so long as Mr. Baharav continues to serve as Chairman of our company, and will remain exercisable during such service and for an additional 12 months period following termination of service (other than for cause). Unvested options will immediately vest in the event of a change in control. In May 2018, the Chairman Agreement was extended for an additional three years period and amended such that the scope of Mr. Baharav’s role was reduced from a 40% position to a 20% position, with corresponding adjustments to the monthly fee and cash value of the fringe benefits. Accordingly, as of May 2018, Mr. Baharav is entitled (directly or through his controlled company) to a monthly fee in the amount of NIS 22,000 (approximately $6,094) and payment of the cash value of various fringe benefits, in an aggregate amount of up to NIS 9,350 (approximately $2,590) per month. We may terminate the agreement prior to the end of its term by providing two months paid notice and an additional two months’ salary. An annual cash bonus plan of 3.6 base monthly salaries was approved for the years 2016 to 2018, upon achievement of a threshold of 80% of the company’s target operating profit metric. Additionally, Mr. Baharav may be eligible for an over- achievement bonus of up to one and a half base monthly salaries. An annual cash bonus plan for 2019 and onward will be presented for approval at the annual shareholders meeting in 2019.

CEO. Mr. Ovadia has served as our Chief Executive Officer since March 31, 2016. Under his employment agreement, Mr. Ovadia is entitled to a monthly salary in the amount of NIS 110,000 (approximately $30,470) and fringe benefits including social benefits, annual vacation and reimbursement of expenses. An annual cash bonus plan of six base monthly salaries was approved for the years 2016 to 2018, upon achievement of a threshold of 80% of the company’s target operating profit metric. Additionally, Mr. Ovadia may be eligible for an over- achievement bonus of up to two and a half base monthly salaries. An annual cash bonus plan for 2019 and onward will be presented for approval at the annual shareholders meeting in 2019. Additionally, in 2016, Mr. Ovadia was granted options under our 2008 Option Plan, to purchase 400,000 of our ordinary shares at an exercise price of $5.02 per share. The options were granted under our 2008 Option Plan and vest in 16 equal quarterly installments over a four-year period so long as Mr. Ovadia serves at our company. During 2018, Mr. Ovadia was granted options to purchase 100,000 ordinary shares at an exercise price of $7.86 per share. The options were granted under our 2008 Option Plan and will vest over a period of four years so long as Mr. Ovadia continues to serve at the Company. The options, will remain exercisable for 12 months following cessation or termination of service (other than for cause). Unvested options will immediately vest in the event of a change in control. The options will expire on the sixth anniversary of the date of the grant.

In accordance with the Israeli Companies Law, we adopted an Executive Compensation Policy for our executive officers and directors. The purpose of the policy is to describe our overall compensation strategy for our executive officers and directors and to provide guidelines for setting their compensation, as prescribed by the Israeli Companies Law. In accordance with the Israeli Companies Law, the Executive Compensation Policy must be reviewed and readopted at least once every three years. The policy was last amended in June 2017.

Approval by the Compensation Committee, the Board of Directors and our shareholders, in that order, is required for the adoption of the Executive Compensation Policy. The shareholders’ approval must include the majority of shares voted at the meeting. In addition to the majority vote, the shareholders’ approval must satisfy either of two additional tests:

the majority includes at least a majority of the shares voted by shareholders other than our controlling shareholders or shareholders who have a personal interest in the adoption of the Executive Compensation Policy; or

the total number of shares held by non-controlling shareholders and disinterested shareholders that voted against the adoption of the Executive Compensation Policy does not exceed 2% of the aggregate voting rights of our company.

In the event that the Executive Compensation Policy is not approved by the shareholders, the compensation committee and the board of directors may still approve the policy, if the compensation committee and the board of directors determine, based on specified reasons and following further discussion of the matter, that the compensation policy is in the best interests of the company.

Under the Israeli Companies Law, the compensation arrangements for “office holders” (other than the Chief Executive Officer) who are not directors require the approval of the Compensation Committee and the Board of Directors; provided, however, that if the compensation arrangement is not in compliance with our Executive Compensation Policy, the arrangement may only be approved by the Compensation Committee and the Board of Directors for special reasons to be noted, and the compensation arrangement shall also require a special shareholder approval. If the compensation arrangement is an immaterial amendment to an existing compensation arrangement of an “office holder” who is not a director and is in compliance with our Executive Compensation Policy, the approval of the Compensation Committee is sufficient. An “office holder” is defined under Israeli Companies Law as a general manager, chief executive officer, chief business manager, deputy general manager, vice general manager, any other person assuming the responsibilities of any of the foregoing positions without regard to such person’s title, a director and a manager directly subordinate to the chief executive officer.

Arrangements regarding the compensation of directors require the approval of the Compensation Committee, the Board and our shareholders, in that order.

Arrangements regarding the compensation of the Chief Executive Officer require the approval of the Compensation Committee, the Board and our shareholders by special majority, in that order. In certain limited cases, the compensation of a new Chief Executive Officer who is not a director may be approved without approval of our shareholders.

C.	Board Practices

Election of Directors

Our Articles of Association provide that our Board of Directors shall consist of not less than five and not more than nine directors as shall be determined from time to time by a majority vote at the general meeting of our shareholders. Our shareholders resolved to set the size of our Board of Directors at nine members, including two external directors.

Pursuant to our Articles of Association, each beneficial owner of 14% or more of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares is entitled to appoint, at each annual general meeting of our shareholders, one member to our Board of Directors, provided that a total of not more than four directors are so appointed. In the event that more than four qualifying beneficial owners notify us that they desire to appoint a member to our board of directors, only the four shareholders beneficially owning the greatest number of shares shall each be entitled to appoint a member to our Board of Directors. So long as our ordinary shares are listed for trading on NASDAQ, we may require that any such appointed director qualify as an “independent director” as provided in the NASDAQ rules then in effect. Our Board of Directors has the right to remove any such appointed director when the beneficial ownership of the shareholder who appointed such director falls below 14% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares.

Our Articles of Association provide that a majority of the voting power at the annual general meeting of our shareholders will elect the remaining members of the board of directors, including external directors as required under the Companies Law. At any annual general meeting at which directors are appointed pursuant to the preceding paragraph, the calculation of the vote of any beneficial owner who appointed a director pursuant to the preceding paragraph shall not take into consideration, for the purpose of electing the remaining directors, ordinary shares constituting 14% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares held by such appointing beneficial owner.

Each of our directors (except for external directors) serve, subject to early resignation or vacation of office in certain circumstances as set forth in our Articles of Association, until the adjournment of the next annual general meeting of our shareholders following the general meeting in which such director was elected. The holders of a majority of the voting power represented at a general meeting of our shareholders in person or by proxy will be entitled to (i) remove any director(s), other than external directors and directors appointed by beneficial holders of 14% or more of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares as set forth above, (ii) elect directors instead of directors so removed, or (iii) fill any vacancy, however created, in the board of directors. Our board of directors may also appoint additional directors, whether to fill a vacancy or in order to bring the total number of serving directors to the number determined by our shareholders. Such directors will serve until the next general meeting of our shareholders following such appointment.

Currently, no shareholder beneficially holding 14% or more of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares has exercised its right to appoint a director.

External Directors and Independent Directors

External Directors. Under the Israeli Companies Law, public companies are required to elect at least two external directors who must meet specified standards of independence. External directors may not have had during the two years preceding their appointment, directly or indirectly through a relative, partner, employer or controlled entity, any affiliation with (i) the company, (ii) those of its shareholders who are controlling shareholders at the time of appointment and/or their relatives, or (iii) any entity controlled by the company or by its controlling shareholders.

The term “affiliation” includes an employment relationship, a business or professional relationship maintained on a regular basis, control and services as an office holder. The term “controlling shareholder” is defined as a shareholder who has the ability to direct the activities of a company, other than if this power derives solely from the shareholder’s position on the board of directors or any other position with the company. The definition also includes shareholders that hold 25% or more of the voting rights if no other shareholder holds more than 50% of the voting rights in the company.

In addition, an individual may not be appointed as an external director in a company that does not have a controlling shareholder, in the event that he has affiliation, at the time of his appointment, to the chairman, chief executive officer, a 5% shareholder or the chief financial officer. An individual may not be appointed as an external director if his relative, partner, employer, supervisor, or an entity he controls, has other than negligible business or professional relations with any of the persons with which the external director himself may not be affiliated.

No person can serve as an external director if the person’s other positions or business creates or may create conflicts of interest with the person’s responsibilities as an external director. Until the lapse of two years from termination of office, a company may not engage an external director as an employee or otherwise. If, at the time an external director is to be appointed, all current members of the board of directors, who are not controlling shareholders of the company or their relatives, are of the same gender, then at least one external director appointed must be of the other gender.

The Israeli Companies Law further requires that external directors have either financial and accounting expertise or professional competence, as determined by the company’s board of directors. Under relevant regulations, a director having financial and accounting expertise is a person who, due to his or her education, experience and talents, is highly skilled in respect of, and understands, business and accounting matters and financial reports, in a manner that enables him or her to have an in-depth understanding of the company’s financial information and to stimulate discussion in respect of the manner in which the financial data is presented. Under the regulations, a director having professional competence is a person who meets any of the following criteria: (i) has an academic degree in either economics, business administration, accounting, law or public administration; (ii) has a different academic degree or has completed higher education in an area relevant to the company’s business or in an area relevant to his or her position; or (iii) has at least five years’ experience in any of the following, or has a total of five years’ experience in at least two of the following: (a) a senior position in the business management of a corporation with a substantial scope of business, (b) a senior public position or a senior position in public service, or (c) a senior position in the main field of the company’s business.

At least one of the external directors is required to qualify as a financial and accounting expert, as determined by the board of directors. Our Board of Directors has determined that both Ms. Dafna Cohen and Mr. Elyezer Shkedy have “accounting and financial expertise” as defined by the Israeli Companies law.

External directors serve for an initial three-year term. The initial three-year term of service can be extended, at the election of a company subject to certain conditions, by two additional three-year terms. External directors will be elected by a majority vote at a shareholders’ meeting, provided that either the majority of shares voted at the meeting, including at least half of the shares held by non-controlling shareholders voted at the meeting, vote in favor; or the total number of shares held by non-controlling shareholders voted against does not exceed two percent of the aggregate voting rights in the company.

The term of office of external directors of Israeli companies traded on certain foreign stock exchanges, including the NASDAQ Global Select Market, may be further extended, indefinitely, in increments of additional three-year terms, in each case provided that, in addition to reelection in such manner described above, (i) the audit committee and subsequently the board of directors of the Company confirm that, in light of the external director’s expertise and special contribution to the work of the board of directors and its committees, the reelection for such additional period is beneficial to the Company, and (ii) prior to the approval of the reelection of the external director, the Company’s shareholders have been informed of the term previously served by such nominee and of the reasons why the board of directors and audit committee recommended the extension of such nominee’s term.

External directors can be removed from office only by the court or by the same special majority of shareholders that can elect them, and then only if the external directors cease to meet the statutory qualifications with respect to their appointment or if they violate their fiduciary duty to the company. The court may additionally remove external directors from office if they were convicted of certain offenses by a non-Israeli court or are permanently unable to fulfill their position.

An external director is entitled to compensation as provided in regulations adopted under the Companies Law and is otherwise prohibited from receiving any other compensation, directly or indirectly, in connection with such service.

The Companies Law requires external directors to submit to the company, prior to the date of the notice of the general meeting convened to elect the external directors, a declaration stating their compliance with the requirements imposed by Companies Law for the office of external director.

Our Board of Directors currently has two external directors under Israeli law: (i) Ms. Dafna Cohen, who was reelected to serve as an external director in January 2018; and (ii) Mr. Elyezer Shkedy who was elected to serve as an external director in June 2017.

Independent Directors. In general, NASDAQ Marketplace Rules require that the board of directors of a NASDAQ-listed company have a majority of independent directors, within the meaning of NASDAQ rules. Our Board of Directors has determined that seven out of the nine members of our Board of Directors are independent directors under NASDAQ requirements.

Pursuant to the Israeli Companies Law, a director may be qualified as an independent director if such director is either (i) an external director; or (ii) a director that served as a board member less than nine years and the audit committee has approved that he or she meets the independence requirements of an external director. A majority of the members serving on the audit committee and the compensation committee must be independent under the Israeli Companies Law.

Chairman of the Board

Under the Companies Law, the Chief Executive Officer (referred to as a “general manager” under the Companies Law) or a relative of the Chief Executive may not serve as the chairman of the board of directors, and the chairman or a relative of the chairman may not be vested with authorities of the Chief Executive Officer without shareholder approval consisting of a majority vote of the shares present and voting at a shareholders meeting, provided that either:

such majority includes at least a majority of the shares held by all shareholders who are not controlling shareholders and do not have a personal interest in such appointment, present and voting at such meeting; or

the total number of shares of non-controlling shareholders and shareholders who do not have a personal interest in such appointment voting against such appointment does not exceed two percent of the aggregate voting rights in the company.

In addition, a person subordinated, directly or indirectly, to the Chief Executive Officer may not serve as the chairman of the board of directors; the chairman of the board may not be vested with authorities that are granted to those subordinated to the Chief Executive Officer; and the chairman of the board may not serve in any other position in the company or a controlled company, but he may serve as a director or chairman of a subsidiary.

Committees of the Board of Directors

Our Articles of Association provide that the Board of Directors may delegate its powers to committees of the Board of Directors as it deems appropriate, to the extent permitted by Israeli Companies Law. All of the external directors must serve on our audit committee and compensation committee (including one external director serving as the chair of the audit committee and compensation committee), and at least one external director must serve on each other committee that may be established by our Board of Directors.

Audit Committee. Under the Israeli Companies Law, publicly traded companies must establish an audit committee. The audit committee must consist of at least three members, and must include all of the company’s external directors, including one external director serving as chair of the audit committee. A majority of an audit committee must be comprised of “independent directors” (as such term is defined in the Companies Law). The chairman of the board of directors, directors employed by, or that provide services on a regular basis to, the company or to a controlling shareholder or a company controlled by a controlling shareholder (or whose main livelihood depends on a controlling shareholder), any controlling shareholder and any relative of a controlling shareholder may not be a member of the audit committee. An audit committee may not approve an action or a transaction with an officer or director, a transaction in which an officer or director has a personal interest, a transaction with a controlling shareholder and certain other transactions specified in the Companies Law, unless at the time of approval two external directors are serving as members of the audit committee and at least one of the external directors was present at the meeting in which approval was granted.

In addition, the NASDAQ Marketplace Rules require us to establish an audit committee comprised of at least three members, all of whom must be independent directors, each of whom is financially literate and satisfies the respective “independence” requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission and NASDAQ and one of whom has accounting or related financial management expertise at senior levels within a company.

Our Audit Committee oversees (in addition to the Board) the accounting and financial reporting processes of our company and audits of our financial statements, including the integrity of our financial statements, compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, our independent auditors’ qualifications, independence, compensation, and performance, and the performance of our internal audit function. Our Audit Committee is also required to determine whether there are deficiencies in the business management of our company and in such event propose to our Board of Directors the means of correcting such deficiencies, determine whether certain related party actions and transactions are “material” or “extraordinary” in connection with their approval procedures, approve related-party transactions as required by Israeli law and establish whistle blower procedures (including in respect of the protections afforded to whistle blowers). The Audit Committee may consult from time to time with our independent auditors and internal auditor with respect to matters involving financial reporting and internal accounting controls.

Our Audit Committee consists of Ms. Cohen, Ms. Sharir, Mr. Shkedy and Mr. Rafaeli. All of the members of our Audit Committee satisfy the respective “independence” requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission and NASDAQ, and the composition of our Audit Committee satisfies the audit committee composition requirements of the Israeli Companies Law. Our Board of Directors has determined that both Ms. Cohen and Mr. Shkedy qualify as Audit Committee financial experts, as required by the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission and NASDAQ.

Compensation Committee. Under the Israeli Companies Law, publicly traded companies must establish a compensation committee, including an external director serving as chair of the compensation committee. The compensation committee must consist of at least three members, and must include all of the company’s external directors. The additional members of the compensation committee must satisfy the criteria for remuneration applicable to the external directors.

Our Compensation Committee consists of Ms. Cohen, Mr. Shkedy and Mr. Rafaeli. All of the members of our Compensation Committee are independent directors, within the meaning of NASDAQ rules and the composition of our Compensation Committee complies with the compensation committee composition requirements of the Israeli Companies Law.

Under Israeli Companies Law, the compensation committee is responsible for: (i) making recommendations to the Board of Directors with respect to the approval of the Executive Compensation Policy; (ii) providing the Board of Directors with recommendations with respect to any amendments or updates to the Executive Compensation Policy and periodically reviewing the implementation thereof; (iii) reviewing and approving arrangements with respect to the terms of office and employment of office holders; and (iv) determining whether or not to exempt a transaction with a candidate for chief executive officer from shareholder approval.

In addition, our Compensation Committee offers recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding equity compensation issues (with the Board also approving compensation of our executive officers), and administers our option plans, subject to general guidelines determined by our Board of Directors from time to time. The Compensation Committee also makes recommendations to our Board of Directors in connection with the terms of employment of our chief executive officer and all other executive officers.