GERMANTOWN, Md., Sept. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Hughes Network Systems, LLC (Hughes), the global leader in broadband satellite networks and services, announced today it has been awarded a new General Services Administration (GSA) Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) contract for a fully managed, global satellite network to support distance learning programs for the Government Education and Training Network (GETN). The GETN community, a consortium of multiple agencies, has depended on Hughes to power its distance learning network across the U.S. and dozens of international sites, and this contract builds on the company's commitment to deliver innovative network technology for the Federal Government.
"Hughes has supported GETN for 10 years and we value the opportunity to continue delivering a secure and reliable network for government agencies to train their global workforce," said Tony Bardo, assistant vice president of Government Solutions at Hughes. "The GETN program exemplifies how to best harness the power of online organizational training for employees in dispersed locations while reducing or eliminating travel costs."
The contract award, estimated at $15 million in total funding for up to five years, marks the third time Hughes has been selected to deliver the turnkey satellite broadcast network, which is expected to encompass 1,030+ downlink sites with 1 or more classrooms, five uplink sites, 21 broadcast studios, and 44 international sites. The Hughes team includes longtime subcontractor Convergent Media Systems to support installation, maintenance and content scheduling for the network.
GETN distributes its training content via HD interactive television (ITV: 1-way video, 2way audio) with audio interaction achieved through a secure terrestrial audio conferencing system. This seamless, interoperable network allows user agencies to share video-based distance learning programs and common facilities.
Hughes will expand and continue to promote the use of interactive TV as a very cost-effective and instructionally sound medium for distance learning in a blended learning environment. Users report completing over 250,000 student training hours each year, resulting in a cost-avoidance in the tens of millions of annual training dollars through GETN.
Under the contract, GETN will utilize HughesON managed broadband service at select sites, including wireline, wireless and satellite connectivity. As part of a managed service, the network solution will also enable agencies to utilize idle bandwidth from other GETN users to maximize network efficiency and performance.
GETN supports, among others, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), United States Air Force (USAF), Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC), Air National Guard (ANG), Defense Health Agency (DHA), and the Department of Justice (DOJ). Training applications over the network range from broadcasting videos of mock trials for judicial employees to instructor-led video discussions for air traffic controllers, medical personnel, civil engineers, acquisition professionals, and aircraft mechanics around the world.
For more information on government solutions from Hughes, visit government.hughes.com
About Hughes Network Systems
Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES) is the global leader in broadband satellite technology and services for home and office. Its flagship high-speed satellite Internet service is HughesNet®, the world's largest satellite network with over 1.2 million residential and business customers across the Americas. For large enterprises and governments, the company's HughesON® managed network services provide complete connectivity solutions employing an optimized mix of satellite and terrestrial technologies. The JUPITER™ System is the world's most widely deployed High-Throughput Satellite (HTS) platform, operating on more than 20 satellites by leading service providers, delivering a wide range of broadband enterprise, mobility and cellular backhaul applications. To date, Hughes has shipped more than 7 million terminals to customers in over 100 countries, representing approximately 50 percent market share, and its technology is powering broadband services to aircraft around the world.
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. For additional information about Hughes, please visit www.hughes.com and follow @HughesConnects on Twitter.
About EchoStar
EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS) is a premier global provider of satellite communication solutions. Headquartered in Englewood, Colo., and conducting business around the globe, EchoStar is a pioneer in secure communications technologies through its Hughes Network Systems and EchoStar Satellite Services business segments. For more information, visit echostar.com. Follow @EchoStar on Twitter.
©2018 Hughes Network Systems, LLC, an EchoStar company. Hughes and HughesNet are registered trademarks and JUPITER is a trademark of Hughes Network Systems, LLC.
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SOURCE Hughes Network Systems, LLC
Dan Brown, Hughes Network Systems, LLC, 301-601-7216, Dan.Brown@Hughes.com; Erin Bzymek, MWWPR, 202-600-4542, ebzymek@mww.com