05-20-08 Hughes Honored by Maryland Hi-Tech Council

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hughes Honored by Maryland Hi-Tech Council

Company named “High Technology Firm of the Year”

Germantown, Md., May 20, 2008 — Hughes Communications, Inc. (HUGHES), the global leader in broadband satellite network solutions and services, today announced that the Company was named “High Technology Firm of the Year” by the Tech Council of Maryland (TCM) at its annual dinner and tech awards celebration held May 15, 2008 at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

For 20 years TCM has recognized the outstanding achievements of the IT and biotechnology communities in the state of Maryland. Award winners are selected by a panel of industry TCM members and service providers from throughout the state.

“We are extremely proud to receive this award from the Maryland Hi-Tech Council,” commented Pradman Kaul, president and CEO of Hughes. “It is indeed a special honor for Hughes to be recognized by an organization of its high technology peers.”

The High Technology Firm of the Year Award acknowledges the company which has innovative technologies and products that are making a difference in the way companies do business. Criteria include:

Innovative products and services relevant to the market
Strong long-term prospects for business
Market penetration and impact
Positive influence in the marketplace
Significant, measurable success including: increased revenue; profit; and employee growth
A crisply executed growth strategy

In 2006, Mr. Kaul was named “Executive of the Year” by TCM for his outstanding leadership of Hughes.

About The Tech Council of Maryland

The Tech Council of Maryland (TCM) is the largest technology trade group serving the advanced technology and biotechnology communities of Maryland. TCM's mission is to advocate for the interests of the technology community, further the role of technology in the Maryland economy, and nurture an environment where technology companies can collaborate, grow, and succeed. For more information, visit www.techcouncilmd.com .

About Hughes Communications, Inc.

Hughes Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: HUGH) is the 100 percent owner of Hughes Network Systems, LLC. Hughes is the global leader in providing broadband satellite networks and services for 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 million systems to customers in over 100 countries.

Headquartered outside Washington, D.C., in Germantown, Maryland, USA, Hughes maintains sales and support offices worldwide. For more information, please visit www.hughes.com .