Pradman Kaul Honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award at COMSYS VSAT2012 Conference

MILTON KEYNES, England, Sept. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Pradman Kaul, president of Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES), has been honoured with the first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award at the COMSYS VSAT2012 Conference, presented on September 12 at the Lancaster London Hotel, London.

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The award recognises Kaul's significant contributions and dedication to the industry over a career spanning four decades. He joined Hughes in the early 1970s and in 2004 was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering. In 1999 he was selected as 'Distinguished Alumnus' of the University of California and 'Distinguished Alumnus' of George Washington University, Washington DC in 2005.  Kaul was awarded the third IEEE Third Millennium medal in 2000. He was awarded 'Satellite Executive of the Year 2008' by Via Satellite magazine and in 2009 he was inducted into the Society of Satellite Professionals International (SSPI). Most recently, Kaul was honoured with the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Innovation in 2012.

"Hughes has been at the forefront of the VSAT industry since its inception and Pradman has always been centre stage, providing the leadership, vision and support that made Hughes' success possible," said COMSYS senior consultant, Simon Bull. "The VSAT industry has many exceptional leaders, but no one is more deserving of this first Lifetime Achievement Award. I was in awe of him in 1985 and I still am today. At COMSYS we are pleased to recognise and thank Pradman for the contribution he has made to our industry over more than 30 years."

On receiving the award, Kaul said, "This comes as a complete surprise. After all these years I am still passionate about the satellite market. It is a privilege to be part of an industry which continues to see impressive technology developments such as the latest expansion of Ka-band. Satellite is now firmly part of the global communications landscape and the future of our industry looks more exciting than ever."            

Hughes is the world's leading supplier of broadband satellite networks and services, with annual revenues of more than $1billion, with enterprise, government and consumer customers in more than 100 countries. 

About COMSYS
Founded in 1982, COMSYS is a UK-based, specialised telecommunications consultancy company with a worldwide reputation for its research and analysis in the satellite market in general and the VSAT industry in particular.  The company has earned a reputation for objective, empirical analysis and is known in the industry as a primary source of market information on a custom basis as well as through its VSAT Industry and Maritime VSAT Reports.  This reputation has been hard-earned by constant monitoring of the world market through visits to businesses in more than 70 countries.  For additional information about COMSYS and the VSAT market, please visit www.comsys.co.uk.

About Hughes Network Systems
Hughes Network Systems, LLC (Hughes) is the world's leading provider of satellite broadband for home and office, delivering innovative network technologies, managed services and solutions for enterprises and governments globally. HughesNet^® is the #1 high-speed satellite Internet service in the marketplace, with offerings to suit every budget. To date, Hughes has shipped more than 2.8 million systems to customers in over 100 countries, representing over 50 percent market share. Its products employ global standards approved by TIA, ETSI and ITU organisations, including IPoS/DVB-S2, RSM-A, and GMR-1.

Headquartered outside Washington, D.C., in Germantown, Maryland, USA, Hughes operates sales and support offices worldwide, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), a premier global provider of satellite operations and digital TV solutions. For additional information about Hughes, please visit www.hughes.com.

©2012 Hughes Network Systems, LLC. Hughes and HughesNet are registered trademarks of Hughes Network Systems, LLC.

SOURCE Hughes Network Systems, LLC