Yahsat Extends Partnership with Hughes for African Satellite Expansion

Hughes to provide JUPITER™ System and network operations services for Yahsat's expansion of Ka-band satellite coverage to 18 African countries

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Hughes Network Systems, LLC

Nov 17, 2015, 10:37 ET

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, Nov. 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- UAE-based satellite operator Yahsat and Hughes Network Systems, LLC (Hughes), the global leader in broadband satellite solutions and services, today announced the award of a major contract for Hughes to deliver its JUPITER™ System and related network operations services in support of Yahsat's planned expansion across Africa in early 2017 with the launch of its new Ka-band satellite, Al Yah 3.

The multi-year contract calls for Hughes to supply its award-winning JUPITER System gateways and broadband terminals together with its Operating Support System (OSS) and Business Support System (BSS) solutions as a turnkey outsourced managed service.

Yahsat's position as the world's eighth largest operator in terms of revenue will be further strengthened by the extended coverage of Al Yah 3 to wider parts of Africa. Al Yah 3 will bring additional connectivity into 18 African countries for consumers, SOHO and enterprise segments.

Commenting on the new contract, David Murphy, Yahsat chief commercial officer, said: "Yahsat has been operating across Africa since 2012. Today we are the market leader, with established service partners in nine countries. Our collaboration with Hughes further expands our commitment in the region enabling next-generation broadband services across the continent and allows Yahsat to better address evolving market requirements in Africa, from broadband access to mobile backhaul for telcos and ISPs. Moreover, as the new Ka-band coverage goes live, the JUPITER System will ensure consistency and smooth transition across respective countries."

"Yahsat's decision to expand our relationship is a testament to the high quality of both Hughes technology and outsourced network operations," said Bahram Pourmand, Hughes' executive vice president, International. "Our JUPITER System has proven to be the platform of choice globally to power high-throughput satellite services and we are confident that it will further strengthen Yahsat's market-leading presence in the region across the African service footprint of Al Yah 3."

The third Yahsat satellite, Al Yah 3, is scheduled for service launch in early 2017, extending the company's commercial Ka-band coverage to 60% of Africa's population. The procurement of the JUPITER platform is in preparation for the new satellite and is in line with Yahsat's strategy to widen and deepen its reach and continuously enhance its product offerings.

Commenting on this, Murphy said: "The right partnerships are fundamental to our expansions. As we diligently work with Hughes to enable the JUPITER OSS / BSS system, working with the right service providers across the continent is also key. This will ensure tried-and-tested solutions as well as local on-ground knowledge throughout the growth of services."

Al Yah 3, with support from Hughes, will strengthen Yahsat's position as the world's eighth largest operator in terms of revenue as the satellite company's coverage will be extended to wider parts of Africa. Yahsat is currently participating at AfricaCom 2015, Cape Town, South Africa at Stand E1, until 19^th November, 2015.

About Al Yah Satellite Communications Company PrJSC, "Yahsat"
Yahsat provides multipurpose satellite solutions (government and commercial) for broadband, broadcast, government, and communications use across the Middle East, Africa, and Europe in addition to Central and South West Asia. Based in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and wholly owned by Mubadala Development Company, the investment vehicle of the Government of Abu Dhabi, Yahsat is the first company in the Middle East and Africa to offer multi-purpose Ka-band satellite services including:

YahClick - offers broadband satellite solutions for home and business
YahService - offers managed solutions and government capacity
YahLink - offers IP trunking solutions, corporate networking and backhauling capacity
Yahlive – a joint venture between Yahsat and SES, offers premium services to broadcasters and a select choice of TV channels

Yahsat's first satellite Y1A was successfully launched in April 2011, and the company's second satellite Y1B was successfully launched in April 2012. Yahsat has announced the manufacturing of its third satellite, Al Yah 3, planned for delivery in Q4 2016, with services to be rolled out early 2017, extending their commercial Ka-band coverage to an additional 19 markets reaching 60% of Africa's population and over 95% of Brazil's population, marking the company's first entry in to Brazil. For more information visit www.yahsat.ae or www.mubadala.ae

About Hughes Network Systems
Hughes Network Systems, LLC (Hughes) is the global leader in satellite broadband for home and office, delivering innovative solutions and a comprehensive suite of HughesON™ managed services for enterprises and governments worldwide. 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 5 million systems to customers in over 100 countries, representing approximately 50 percent market share. Its products employ global standards approved by the TIA, ETSI and ITU organizations, 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.

About EchoStar
EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS) is a premier global provider of satellite and video delivery solutions. Headquartered in Englewood, Colo., and conducting business around the globe, EchoStar is a pioneer in secure communications technologies through its EchoStar Satellite Services, EchoStar Technologies Corporation and Hughes Network Systems business segments. For more information, visit echostar.com. Follow @Echostar on Twitter.

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