Even during tough economic times, some markets continue to thrive because they provide an essential product or service—something that people can’t or won’t do without. Food, health care, and consumer staples easily come to mind. But there are also some less obvious candidates—broadband by satellite, for example.

Analysts estimate that there are 10 to 11 million households and over 3.5 million small businesses in the U.S. that don’t have access to terrestrial broadband service. Even urban and suburban areas that are otherwise covered by fiber, DSL, or cable have pockets that contain no landline broadband access. According to a recent study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 62 percent of rural Americans do not have broadband access at home, and as many as 28 percent said they believe they have no broadband options at all.¹

In fact, they do. Thanks to Hughes satellite technology, HughesNet^® high-speed Internet service is available throughout the country. In 2008, HughesNet consumer and small business subscribers grew by 14 percent—the fastest yet—to 433,000 subscribers. And as word travels and people learn about the availability and benefits of HughesNet, they are signing up at an average rate of more than 14,000 subscribers per month, based on the results of late 2008.

“This growth rate directly reflects the importance of Internet connectivity,” said Peter Gulla, vice president of marketing for Hughes North America. “For many households and small businesses, Internet access is a necessity. No matter how they use the Web—to seek information, look for employment, take classes, shop, or run a small business—people need to be connected. And satellite is the only technology that’s capable of delivering broadband Internet to every household across the nation regardless of location. The only requirement is for the antenna to have a clear view of the southern sky.”

Since the launch of HughesNet service over SPACEWAY 3 in April, 2008, the company has used its revolutionary new satellite’s advanced capabilities to offer even higher speeds at no additional cost to subscribers. HughesNet service plans now offer the fastest speeds ever available via satellite, with downloads starting at up to 1 Mbps and going as high as 5 Mbps. There is also an attractive lease option that enables customers to reduce upfront costs by paying for equipment on a monthly basis.

For small business customers, Hughes delivers an enterprise-grade service that provides the speed and bandwidth to meet the needs of small and larger businesses alike. For example, in New Hampshire, educator Joshua Kim uses HughesNet service to communicate with his students and teach classes from his home. In Virginia, Lee Sherbeyn, a rancher and real estate agent, depends on HughesNet to reach his customers in both lines of work. An alpaca farmer, a cotton gin operation, a winery—the list of small businesses that are discovering the many benefits of HughesNet is seemingly endless. Visit www.hughes.com to view videos of these and other customer success stories.

As is being proven daily, and despite the economic downturn, broadband Internet service is an essential requirement for many consumers and small businesses across America. Hughes is proud to be leveraging its technology and product innovations to serve this rapidly growing market by delivering affordable, high-speed broadband access by satellite—no matter where people live or work.

¹ Source: “Home Broadband 2008,” Pew Internet & American Life Project, July 2008