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HughesNet Continuity of Operations

It goes without saying that Government needs to stay connected with its constituents at all levels – local, regional, state, and federal, and in the face of any and all disasters. High availability and secure networks are an essential part of any agency’s Continuity of Operations (COOP) plan.

HughesNet^® COOP solutions help ensure 24/7 network availability and remain operational even when land-based networks fail. Available through the U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) SATCOM-II contract vehicle, HughesNet COOP solutions allow federal agencies to:

Leverage the power of the world’s highest capacity satellite solution – SPACEWAY^® 3 – to ensure path-diverse COOP, under all conditions.
Deploy inter-/intra-agency private networks on demand for immediate emergency response.
Comply with Homeland Security Presidential Directive/HSPD-20 on National Continuity Policy, requiring implementation of a comprehensive communications continuity architecture.

Broadband Service to Remote Areas

Owned and operated by Hughes, the continent-wide HughesNet service is the world’s largest broadband satellite platform, delivering high-speed Internet access to over 500,000 customer sites throughout North America, including enterprise, government agencies, and small businesses/consumers. Now operating over the next generation, Ka band, SPACEWAY 3 geostationary satellite system, HughesNet is available virtually everywhere in the U.S., covering all ex-urban and rural areas of the U.S. unserved by terrestrial broadband. HughesNet brings the power of broadband to virtually all remote government field locations – such as offices training facilities and health clinics – crossing the "digital divide" with a range of affordable high-speed Internet access plans to fit every budget. These plans are filed in GSA Schedule 70 and are available now to every federal agency.

Communicating in a Hurricane

Satellite communications played a crucial role in the lives of thousands of people affected by the devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Many people who were able to weather the storms had limited or no telephone, cable, or Internet access. They were told it could be months before telephone and data communication systems would be restored.

But HughesNet service was already working to help fill the void. Hughes and its agents worked closely with organizations across the southeastern Unites States to deploy emergency satellite services and equipment to reconnect people with their families, find medical care, and obtain relief services. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers used HughesNet satellite communications in the face of downed terrestrial networks to access patient records, order medications, and to enable veterans to connect with family members.