Bridging the Digital Divide in Argentina with Satellite Technology

Hughes presentation at U.S. embassy event in Buenos Aires highlighted opportunities to bring broadband Internet to schools and rural communities

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Hughes Network Systems, LLC

Dec 01, 2016, 10:00 ET

GERMANTOWN, Md., Dec. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- At a recent event in Buenos Aires hosted by U.S. Ambassador Noah Mamet, Hughes Network Systems, LLC (Hughes), the global leader in broadband satellite solutions and services, delivered a comprehensive presentation on the potential for High-Throughput Satellite (HTS) technology as a solution to bridge the digital divide in Argentina. Attended by approximately 50 high-level government officials and executives from prominent telecommunications companies, the event focused on Argentina's initiative to increase Internet connectivity in rural and hard-to-reach communities that are unserved or underserved by terrestrial broadband services.

Speaking at the event, Ramesh Ramaswamy, Hughes senior vice president, International, provided an example of a recent partnership between Hughes and ARSAT, the Argentine national telecommunications company, of bringing broadband satellite connectivity to approximately 2,000 rural locations across Argentina, including schools, by implementing the latest generation JUPITER System operating over the ARSAT 1 and 2 HTS satellites.

Ambassador Mamet commented, "I would like to welcome Ramesh Ramaswamy and Hugo Frega from Hughes and their local representative Ricardo Perelman, and congratulate you on your extensive work in Argentina and the launching of your satellite solutions. What you are doing goes beyond satellite communications. Your work is advancing the U.S.-Argentina relationship."

Broadband satellite technology employing VSATs (very small aperture terminals) and operating over the latest generation of HTS satellites, offers an ideal and cost-effective solution to bring the many benefits of broadband Internet access to virtually any location, regardless of distance or terrain.

"Hughes is honored to be a part of this important initiative," said Ramaswamy. "Closing the digital divide is essential for the social and economic well-being of all nations, and we look forward to working with our partners at ARSAT to further extend broadband access in Argentina as well as with other countries around the world that face similar challenges."

The Hughes JUPITER System is one of the world's most powerful and widely used satellite Internet platforms. It features a flexible and robust gateway architecture with lights-out operation, enhanced IPoS air interface for bandwidth efficiency and performance, and high-throughput terminals. The foundational technology is the powerful JUPITER System on a Chip (SoC), a custom–designed VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration) processor employing a multi-core architecture and enabling 100 Mbps of throughput on every terminal within the JUPITER family.

About Hughes Network Systems
Hughes Network Systems, LLC (Hughes) is the global leader in satellite broadband for home and office, delivering innovative technology 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 and Hughes Network Systems business segments. For more information, visit echostar.com. Follow @EchoStar on Twitter.