Hughes Launches Fastest Ever Satellite Broadband Access Plans for SMBs

Germantown, Md., August 26, 2008—Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES), the global leader in broadband satellite network solutions and services, today announced the availability of HughesNet Business Internet service plans, the fastest satellite Internet plans ever offered, bringing affordable, reliable, and high-performance broadband access to  small- and mid-sized businesses (SMB) throughout the nation.

Starting at only $59.99 per month, HughesNet Business Internet plans have been specifically tailored to the SMB market complete with competitive pricing and flexible billing options. Customers can choose from seven plans, with speeds up to 1 Mbps on the uplink and up to 5 Mbps on the downlink, and are available to SMBs regardless of their location, which may be outside the reach of terrestrial cable and DSL providers.

“We estimate that there are over three million underserved businesses in the U.S.,” said Sam Baumel, assistant vice president of SMB at Hughes. “Because of where they’re located, these business owners don’t have access to DSL, are using a slow dial-up connection, or are paying for costly T-1 service. Our new HughesNet Business Internet plans offer an affordable, nationwide solution that will help any small business stay connected and grow.”

They also feature a range of service options designed to grow as the needs of a business grows, including broadband backup access to ensure consistent connectivity, and a virtual private network (VPN) solution for secure networking among business locations.

The HughesNet Business Internet plans are made possible by the advanced technology of  SPACEWAY™ 3, the largest commercial satellite operating in the U.S. and the world’s first with on-board switching and routing. Developed and owned by Hughes, SPACEWAY 3 is optimized for data networking and has the highest capacity of any commercial satellite, which fuels the faster speeds and allows for cost-effective and efficient processing of  bandwidth intensive applications.

All HughesNet Business Internet plans include a professional installation designed for commercial locations, as well as a number of business-grade maintenance options. HughesNet Business Internet services are available directly from Hughes and through its nationwide network of authorized resellers. To learn more about HughesNet Business Solutions, visit www.business.hughesnet.com.

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 1.5 millions 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
 
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©2008 Hughes Network Systems, LLC. Hughes, HughesNet, and SPACEWAY are trademarks of Hughes Network Systems, LLC.