Hughes Provides Mexican Ministry of Communications and Transport with HN Broadband Satellite System

Hughes technology supports e-Mexico Digital Community Centers bringing broadband connectivity to rural communities using HN7000S terminals

GERMANTOWN, Md., Oct. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES), the global leader in broadband satellite networks and services, today announced that the Communications and Transport Ministry of Mexico (SCT) selected Hughes to supply its market-leading HN System to support the Mexican government's connectivity program to expand broadband access to rural areas of the country. This selection was made through the Department of Knowledge and Information Coordination (a Mexican government agency formerly known as e-Mexico).

The Hughes HN System comprises a Network Operations Center (NOC) and 5,760 HN7000S satellite terminals that will enable public schools, hospitals, libraries, and government offices to connect to the Web and each other via broadband Internet access. The HN broadband satellite system is fully compliant with the global IPoS/DVB-S2 standard, including ACM (adaptive coding and modulation) and is designed to support a wide range of bandwidth-intensive services. Hughes was the first company to implement DVB-S2 with ACM, the most efficient implementation available, which yields up to 50 percent greater throughput over the original DVB-S standard.

"We chose the Hughes HN System because of its proven technological advantages and competitive price," said Javier Lizarraga Galindo, technology advisor at SCT. "The HN System provides excellent optimization of space segment with higher throughput, allowing us to provide a very cost-effective service. Its compression technology allows the integration of traffic from two networks into a single network, running efficiently through only one hub. The Hughes technology has helped us to reduce operational costs by 75 percent."

"Many countries are exploiting the benefits of broadband satellite technology to reach rural areas underserved by terrestrial technology," commented Nick Marzella, vice president of the Central America & Latin America group (CALA) at Hughes. " Bringing broadband to even the most remote areas of Mexico is critical for the government to deliver essential services such as education and health care, as well as to promote economic development."

About Ministry of Communications and Transport, Mexico

Since December 1, 2000, the Mexican Government, through the Ministry of Communications and Transport (SCT), as directed by the Mexican President, deployed the e-Mexico Digital Community Centers as a means to reduce the digital gap between those who have access to the Internet and those who do not, thereby providing new access opportunities to all Mexicans. Satellite technology provides communities in remote regions broadband access where other technologies, such as cable and DSL, either cannot reach or is too expensive to install. For additional information, please visit www.e-mexico.gob.mx.

About Hughes Network Systems

Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES) is the global leader in providing broadband satellite networks and services for large enterprises, governments, small businesses, and consumers. HughesNet(® )encompasses all broadband solutions and managed services from Hughes, bridging the best of satellite and terrestrial technologies. Its broadband satellite products are based on global standards approved by the TIA, ETSI and ITU standards organizations, including IPoS/DVB-S2, RSM-A and GMR-1. To date, Hughes has shipped more than 1.9 million systems to customers in over 100 countries.

Headquartered outside Washington, D.C., in Germantown, Maryland, USA, Hughes maintains sales and support offices worldwide. Hughes is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hughes Communications, Inc. ( HUGH). For additional information, please visit www.hughes.com.

Hughes and HughesNet are registered trademarks of Hughes Network Systems, LLC.

SOURCE Hughes Network Systems, LLC