ComStream Business Unit Receives ISO-9001 Certification; VSAT Division Passes Stringent Quality Standards Audit.

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 21, 1997--ComStream Corp. Thursday announced that its Satellite Global Access (SGA) Division has been awarded ISO-9001 certification by Des Norske Veritas (DNV), an internationally recognized certification firm.

ISO-9001 certification is the international quality standard for research and development, engineering, manufacturing, marketing, sales, distribution and service processes. ISO-9001 is the most stringent of the series of standards, which are known collectively as ISO-9000.

Corporations and governments around the world use ISO-9000 compliance as a prerequisite for doing business with vendors and suppliers, and, in many world markets, manufacturers must have earned ISO-9001 certification before they can sell their products freely. ComStream's SGA Division is a preeminent worldwide supplier of fixed satellite-based VSAT transmission networks for telephone communications.

"ISO-9001 certification underscores our commitment to maintaining the highest quality in every aspect of our business activities," says Mark Steinman, ComStream chief executive officer. "Our goal is to have the industry best performance as judged by our customers, associates, suppliers and the communities in which we operate."

"As an ISO 9001-certified supplier, the SGA Division will strengthen ComStream's strategic market position worldwide," states Hank Macchio, vice president and SGA general manager. "SGA products already have a reputation for quality. Achieving ISO-9001 certification validates that reputation. It gives us a road map to maintaining it, and it enhances our credibility in the marketplace."

ComStream's quality strategy involves a set of initiatives that blends the values of quality management and productivity improvement into the ComStream corporate culture.

"ISO-9001 certification is a key component to ComStream's quality strategy," says the senior director of quality assurance, Duane Billheimer, who spearheaded SGA's ISO-9001 certification process. Billheimer expects certification of the company's Satellite Products Division by mid-1998.

ComStream is an international provider of digital transmission solutions for voice, data, audio and video applications. It is known worldwide for its design and manufacture of satellite communications equipment, such as full-mesh VSATs, satellite modems and earth stations, and broadcast systems for private business and public networks. ComStream is also a producer of digital set-top boxes and satellite PC high-speed receiver cards.

With offices in the United States, Mexico, Colombia, Indonesia, the People's Republic of China, Russia and the United Kingdom, ComStream is a wholly owned subsidiary of Spar Aerospace Ltd.

Spar, a leading Canadian advanced-technology company, is in the communications, space, aviation and defense, and software industries. Operations are located in North America, Europe and the Pacific Rim, and nearly 70 percent of revenues are derived outside Canada. It is listed on the Toronto and Montreal stock exchanges. Stock symbol: SPZ. Web site URL: http://www.spar.ca .

CONTACT: ComStream, San Diego

Gwen Carlson, 619/657-5780

Holly Bertz, 619/657-5327

Fax: [phone]

Web site: www.comstream.com