Hughes Unveils New HM Satellite System for Mobility & Portability Applications

New system employs innovative Hughes waveform technology to meet demands for more efficient and agile SATCOM solutions

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Nov 05, 2015, 10:00 ET

GERMANTOWN, Md., Nov. 5, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Hughes Networks Systems, LLC (HUGHES), the global leader in broadband satellite solutions and services, today unveiled its new HM System, engineered around its novel software-definable modem (SDM) technology and scrambled code multiple access (SCMA) waveform. Hughes is launching with three commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) products for government applications.

Showcased at AUSA 2015, the Hughes Airborne SATCOM System featuring the new HM200 Modem installed on a NorthStar Aviation Bell 407 Multi-role Helicopter.

The new HM System employs a commercially-based, open standards architecture and frequency band-agnostic platform that enables affordable, resilient solutions to meet a wide variety of mobility and portability requirements for government users. In addition to supporting fixed applications, the HM System provides satellite-on-the-move capabilities for airborne, maritime and land mobility solutions, including a complete, ultra-compact and portable terminal for small teams reliant on quick-deploy connectivity. With the first gateway installed and fully operational in September 2015, the COTS products are now ready for market roll-out.

"The basis of the new HM System is our advanced waveform technology based on very low-rate coding and new multiple access techniques," said Rick Lober, vice president and general manager, Defense and Intelligence Systems Division, for Hughes. "Continuing the Hughes tradition of innovative satellite networking solutions, the waveform utilizes advanced software-definable SCMA technology enabling high-throughput, secure and efficient sharing of bandwidth, paving the way for government organizations to experience superior mobility and portability."

The three HM System product solutions based on the new waveform technology are as follows:

HM100: Enterprise Application Modem – A universal rack-mounted hub that is transportable and offers high-throughput to support ground station SATCOM operations.

Hughes Unveils New HM Satellite System for Mobility and Portability Applications, page 2

HM200: Satellite-on-the-Move (SOTM), Ruggedized Modem – A mobile, ruggedized modem for any communications-on-the-move (COTM) scenario, with real-time situational awareness and beyond-line-of-sight (BLoS) capabilities. Target applications include land mobile, maritime, and airborne platforms. The HM200 offers faster acquisition time, low power requirement, carrier-in-carrier capabilities, MIL-SPEC connectors, internal power supply and separate data and M&C ports. It is also equipped to deliver the best data rates in the market for SATCOM through rotor blades.
HM300: Ultra-Compact, Portable Terminal – An ultra-lightweight man-packable communications solution that allows fast deployment and recovery while enabling up to 512 kbps of voice and data and is suitable for use in harsh environments. A complete terminal, the HM300 offers X-band communications with a small antenna footprint in a compact, low power package. It reduces the requirement for large and heavy satellite communications kits and also achieves significant service cost savings when compared to L-band service alternatives. The HM300 will launch as the portable terminal of choice for the XEBRA Service from Airbus Defence & Space.

Suitable applications for the HM System include intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance (ISR), border patrol, search and rescue, disaster response, wildfire monitoring, oil platform communications, cellular backhaul and airborne BLOS communications. For more information on the HM System, visit defense.hughes.com or call 301-428-5539.

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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SOURCE Hughes Network Systems, LLC