Hughes to Launch 100 Gbps High Throughput Satellite in 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hughes to Launch 100 Gbps High Throughput
Satellite in 2012

Space Systems/Loral selected to manufacture next-generation satellite
with over 100 Gbps throughput, utilizing enhanced IPoS standard

Germantown, Md., USA, June 16, 2009 — Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES), the global leader in broadband satellite networks and services, today announced that it will launch a next-generation, high throughput satellite in the first quarter 2012 to expand its rapidly growing HughesNet^® broadband Internet service across North America. Designed to deliver over 100 Gbps throughput, the new Hughes satellite will utilize an enhanced version of the IPoS standard, the world's leading broadband satellite standard approved by ETSI, TIA and ITU.

“This is a very exciting time for Hughes,” said Pradman Kaul, chairman and CEO of Hughes. “In a little over a year since successfully launching HughesNet service on SPACEWAY^® 3, we are once again poised to push the envelope and bring a sophisticated, high throughput satellite to market—based on cutting-edge industry standards, and with capabilities that position us well into the future as a successful integrated satellite service provider.”

Employing a multi-spot beam, bent pipe Ka-band architecture, the new geostationary satellite will provide significant additional capacity for HughesNet service in North America . Its capabilities will augment the successful SPACEWAY 3 satellite system, the world's first with on-board switching and routing, which Hughes put into commercial service in April, 2008. Space Systems/Loral has been selected to manufacture the new Hughes satellite, based on its SSL 1300 platform, which has the proven flexibility for a broad range of applications and is expected to provide service for 15 years or more.

“We are very pleased to add Hughes to our list of valued customers,” said John Celli, president and chief operating officer of Space Systems/Loral. “Satellites for broadband communications are playing an important role in making high-speed Internet service available throughout the country. Space Systems/Loral is on the leading edge of manufacturing the high-power, broadband satellites that enable this type of service.”

About Space Systems/Loral

Based in Palo Alto, California, SS/L designs and builds satellites and spacecraft systems commercial and government customers around the world. As the leading provider of commercial satellites, the company works closely with satellite operators to deliver spacecraft for a broad range of services including direct-to-home television, digital audio radio, broadband Internet, and digital multimedia broadcasting. With more power on orbit than any other satellite manufacturer, SS/L helps customers meet business objectives with advanced solutions based on space-proven heritage designs. For more information, visit www.ssloral.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 1.9 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 .