U.S. Government Education and Training Network (GETN) Selects Hughes to Provide Critical Satellite Broadband Services
Managed network delivers distance learning to thousands of government employees at U.S. and international sites.
As a long-time trusted partner, Hughes was again awarded a new contract for a fully managed, global satellite network to support distance learning programs for the Government Education and Training Network (GETN). The GETN community, a consortium of multiple agencies, has depended on Hughes for over a decade to power its distance learning network across the U.S. and dozens of international sites.
“Hughes has supported GETN for 10 years, and we value the opportunity to continue delivering a secure and reliable network for government agencies to train their global workforce,” said Tony Bardo, assistant vice president of Government Solutions at Hughes. “The GETN program exemplifies how best to harness the power of online training for employees in dispersed locations, while reducing or eliminating travel costs.”
GETN distributes training content via High-Definition (HD) interactive TV through a secure terrestrial audio-conferencing system. This seamless, interoperable network allows member agencies to share video-based distance learning and common facilities. Users report completing over 250,000 student training hours each year through GETN, resulting in a cost avoidance totaling tens of millions in annual training dollars.
GETN supports, among others, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), United States Air Force (USAF), Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC), Air National Guard (ANG), Defense Health Agency (DHA), and the Department of Justice (DOJ). Training applications over the network range from broadcasting videos of mock trials for judicial employees to instructor-led video discussions for air traffic controllers, medical personnel, civil engineers, acquisition professionals, and aircraft mechanics around the world.
This marks the third time Hughes has been selected to deliver the turnkey satellite broadcast network, which is expected to encompass 1,030+ downlink sites with one or more classrooms, 5 uplink sites, 21 broadcast studios, and 44 international sites. The Hughes team includes longtime subcontractor Convergent Media Systems to support installation, maintenance, and content scheduling for the network.
Under the contract, GETN will utilize HughesON™ managed broadband service at select sites—including the most cost-effective combination of wireline, wireless and satellite connectivity—and enable agencies to maximize network efficiency and performance by sharing idle bandwidth among members.