Hughes Announces New Machine-to-Machine (M2M) Broadband Service

Brings Fast, Reliable Satellite Networking for the Nation's Critical Utility and Energy Infrastructures

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Nov 15, 2010, 08:00 ET

GERMANTOWN, Md., Nov. 15, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES), the global leader in broadband satellite networks and services, announced the launch of its new M2M (machine-to-machine) broadband service that enables the utility, energy, and other industries with remote unmanned equipment to extend faster network intelligence to their entire infrastructure, regardless of hard-to-reach locations or environmental conditions.

The new Hughes offering will help dramatically improve the operational efficiency, maintenance and security of critical infrastructures while driving down costs, and builds on the company's success as a leading managed network service provider, with over 250,000 enterprise sites under contract across the U.S. It is ideally suited for electric, gas, and water utilities, oil and gas pipelines, compressors and well sites, railways, energy producers, and similar companies that rely on a growing flood of data from remote devices to keep their operations ready and on high alert.

"New applications like the smart grid are causing explosive growth in the machines, sensors, and devices that must be networked to maintain reliability and control of critical infrastructures," said Mike Tippets, vice president of the Enterprise Solutions Group at Hughes. "Older M2M networks can no longer handle the growing data load nor the speeds required for real-time communications with these devices. Our Hughes M2M broadband service is designed for these critical infrastructures that must not fail even in the severest of conditions."

Available nationwide, the Hughes M2M service will also help companies to better meet new regulatory requirements for monitoring and control of their infrastructure, providing ubiquitous, reliable network coverage to even the most isolated or challenging locations. With a full suite of service plans and hardware to meet a range of speed, environmental and physical format requirements, Hughes M2M is a fully managed broadband solution that enables customers to choose the best technology on a site-by-site basis -- all from a trusted service provider with decades of experience in managing robust networks for critical monitoring and control applications. Managed services include 24x7 operations, network management, proactive fault resolution, and field maintenance.

Ruggedized products ensure reliable operation in extreme weather and challenging environments, and can be configured with remote site power sources such as solar panels and back-up batteries. For example, the Hughes M2M service can operate as a backhaul network for smart meter data collection on utility pole-mounted devices, or for SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) applications at electric substations or along gas pipelines. Railway companies can benefit by improved track-side monitoring and control of railways; renewable energy producers can maintain reliable data communications for their turbine or solar array equipment located anywhere, even mountaintops, deserts, or offshore.

Because security is critical in these applications, Hughes M2M is a secure network service with strong encryption that doesn't connect to the open Internet, and therefore is protected from intrusion by outside parties.

"Our Hughes M2M service represents the most advanced of today's IP-based satellite networks, providing high-speed connectivity, 99.99 percent availability, and virtually 100 percent nationwide coverage, making it ideal for large distributed M2M networks. And that includes broadband connectivity to mobile workforces, enabling those in the field to always stay connected with headquarters and other offices," said Tippets.

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 2.2 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. (Nasdaq: 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