In less than a decade, broadband has become the great game-
changer —creating new opportunities for individuals and businesses,
and improving the delivery of basic public services such as health
care and education. In fact, broadband has been growing globally
so fast that it’s easy to forget about the billions of people who can’t
get access. But thanks to satellite broadband, which is available
virtually everywhere, more and more people who aren’t served by
terrestrial broadband are getting connected every day.

Here is just a snapshot of recent initiatives involving Hughes
products and services around the world that are daily bringing more
people and businesses the many benefits of broadband.  

 United States

Hughes estimates that 10 to 11 million households and over 3.5
million small businesses in the U.S. do not have access to terrestrial
broadband services such as DSL or cable—in rural and ex-urban
areas alike. Even urban areas that are largely covered by terrestrial
broadband often contain many pockets without access. The good
news for Americans is that HughesNet^® broadband service by
satellite is available nationwide— in fact, the number of HughesNet
consumer subscribers climbed to 433,000 in December 2008.

Mexico

In Mexico, Hughes is supplying the Secretariat of Communications
and Transportation with an HN System and 4800 terminals to upgrade
the e-Mexico project—an initiative by the Mexican government to bring
Internet access to the underserved population of Mexico.

Brazil

The State of Amazonas in Brazil, which covers 1.5 million square
kilometers (930,000 square miles), includes a huge rainforest and
the world’s most voluminous river, presenting a significant
geographical challenge to deliver broadband service. Hughes has
partnered with PRODAM, the state data processing company, to
deliver high-speed Internet service by satellite to government agencies
and the public throughout the state, helping to connect this resource-
rich region to the world.

India

As part of the Indian government’s initiative to bridge the digital divide,
Hughes Communications India Ltd., a subsidiary of Hughes, has
been providing satellite broadband terminals and services since
2007 at rural kiosks across multiple states in India. Now numbering
nearly 11,000, the kiosks are enabling the provision of numerous
e-governance applications and other services such as pay-as-you-go
high-speed Internet access and online education.

Maritime Broadband

Today, onboard broadband connectivity is a necessity to millions of
cargo ships, tankers, fishing boats, cruise ships, yachts, and patrol
vessels. To meet the growing demand for consistent coverage in
coastal areas around the world, operators like Global Marine
Communications based in Cyprus are providing satellite broadband
services for the maritime industry utilizing the Hughes HN series
satellite broadband system.

Australia

According to Orion Satellite Systems, a registered provider of
broadband satellite services under the Australian Broadband
Guarantee program, there is an untapped market in Australia with
an estimated 200,000 potential subscribers who have no access to
broadband. Orion aims to help bridge that gap by its commissioning
in 2008 of an advanced HN broadband satellite system, including the
highly bandwidth-efficient DVB-S2/IPoS with ACM standard, to provide
broadband Internet access service throughout remote areas of
Australia.

Ethiopia

Back in the early 2000s, the Ethiopian Ministry of Education and
Capacity Building envisioned the transition of its largely agricultural
economy to a new information-based economy. Today, operating a
Hughes broadband satellite network, Ethiopia Telecommunications
Company is providing broadband services to schools, government
offices, and agricultural facilities. Funded in part by the Ethiopian
government and the World Bank, the project is delivering voice,
Internet connectivity, videoconferencing, and distance learning,
helping to realize the goal of transitioning to an information-based
economy.