Pradman Kaul Rings the Bell:
On January 18 at 4:00 pm EST, Hughes Communications, Inc. president and CEO Pradman Kaul rang the closing bell of the NASDAQ Stock Market, celebrating the company’s listing on NASDAQ in September 2006, under the symbol: HUGH. “Presiding over the NASDAQ market close is a perfect way for us to acknowledge and thank all who have contributed to our success over the years, including our customers, employees, partners, and shareholders,” said Kaul. “We celebrate the innovative spirit of Hughes people—they’re the reason why we’ve always been the market leader in broadband satellite networks and services worldwide since we introduced the fi rst Ku-band VSAT network over 20 years ago.”
HughesNet Subscribers Surpass 325,000 in 2006:
In January, Hughes announced that the number of HughesNet small business and residential subscribers in North America surpassed 325,000 during the fourth quarter of 2006—an 18 percent growth over the same period in 2005. This milestone confi rms HughesNet as the leader by far in broadband satellite service and demonstrates continued healthy growth in subscriptions among underserved customers who are unable to receive high-speed Internet access through cable, DSL, or other terrestrial means. In 2006, Hughes successfully transitioned to the HughesNet brand and launched a new subscriber platform and service plans, offering customers enhanced quality, speeds, and performance.
Committed to Worker Safety, China Deploys Hughes HN7000 in Its Emergency Communications System:
To help ensure the safety of its miners, the China State Administration of Coal Mine Safety recently implemented the YJ-NET Work Safety Emergency Video Communication System, which assists emergency rescue teams during disaster recovery situations in China. Based on the Hughes HN7000 satellite communications platform, the YJ-NET system consists of 11 rescue sub-centers that enable emergency rescue teams to visually communicate from the site of an accident to the Administration’s headquarters in Beijing. Service coverage is available throughout China and is designed for high availability operation in the most adverse weather or environmental conditions. Each sub-center employs two sets of transportable satellite equipment that provide multiple services, including high-speed Internet access, videoconferencing and VoIP voice.
Dr. Hitendra Ghosh Takes Pride of India Award:
On January 10, Dr. Hitendra Ghosh, vice president of quality assurance for Hughes, was honored with a 2006 Pride of India Award in a ceremony held in New Delhi, India to recognize and celebrate the remarkable achievements of people of Indian origin from all over the world. The event was sponsored by the NRI Institute, an organization of Indians, nonresident Indians, and persons of Indian origin. The award presentation cited Dr. Ghosh’s dedication and commitment to volunteering his time and expertise to numerous nation-building projects as copresident of PanIIT Alumni USA, and as a member of the Global PanIIT Alumni Board. In collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), PanIIT alumni have promoted public awareness and support among government offi cials and legal professionals to enact appropriate patent laws in order to allow international companies to set up research facilities in India. It is Dr. Ghosh’s hope that this will raise India‘s research excellence to world-class standards and help sustain its economic growth.