GERMANTOWN, Md., March 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Hughes Network Systems, LLC (Hughes), the global leader in broadband satellite solutions and services and a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation, today announced at the SATELLITE 2013 Conference that it has selected Space Systems/Loral (SSL) to build what will be the world's highest capacity broadband satellite ― JUPITER 2/EchoStar XIX. With over 150 Gbps throughput, the new Ka-band satellite will have 50 percent greater capacity than EchoStar XVII, which was also built by SSL for Hughes and launched on July 5, 2012.
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Planned for launch in mid-2016, JUPITER 2/EchoStar XIX will continue to power growth of HughesNet in North America—the world's largest high-speed satellite Internet service ― with 659,000 subscribers as of YE2012. Building on the success of EchoStar XVII, the new satellite is being designed with a next-generation architecture having more than 120 spot beams, facilitating optimization of high quality Internet coverage across the U.S. and parts of Canada. Its expected service lifetime is at least 15 years.
"Growth of our HughesNet consumer service continues at a record pace," said Pradman Kaul, president of Hughes, "and speed and application demands are only going to increase as the online world expands into even more data- and media-rich experiences. JUPITER 2/EchoStar XIX will enable us to continue our leadership so that our customers can enjoy the Internet at its fullest. SSL is a trusted partner in building our platforms and we look forward to working with them again."
With four decades of experience, SSL is the leader in supplying high-throughput, Ka-band satellites.
"Hughes is the inventor of commercial VSATs and a pioneer in satellite broadband for the consumer market," said John Celli, president of SSL. "JUPITER 2/EchoStar XIX will be the highest capacity broadband satellite ever built as a result of technology advances from both our companies and the excellent spirit of teamwork between our people."
About SSL
SSL has a long history of delivering reliable satellites and spacecraft systems for commercial and government customers around the world. As the world's leading provider of commercial satellites, the company works closely with satellite operators to provide spacecraft for a broad range of services including television and radio distribution, digital audio radio, broadband Internet and mobile communications. Billions of people around the world depend on SSL satellites every day. For more information, visit www.ssloral.com.
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 3.3 million systems to customers in over 100 countries, representing over 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.
© Hughes Network Systems, LLC, an EchoStar company. Hughes and HughesNet are registered trademarks and JUPITER is a trademark of Hughes Network Systems, LLC.
SOURCE Hughes Network Systems, LLC