Broadband on the Highway of the North

Founded in 1984, the annual Yukon Quest international sled dog race takes its name from the Yukon River, also dubbed the “highway of the north.” Starting in Fairbanks, Alaska and ending in Whitehorse, Canada, the race follows the historical winter land routes traveled by prospectors, adventurers, and mail and supply carriers. In February 2014, for the second year in a row, “mushers” stayed connected along the 1,000-mile journey via Hughes satellite communications. Reliable Internet access enabled the race staff to stay in touch with mushers by email and VoIP calls, and get aid quickly in an emergency. Journalists covering the race also used the Hughes service to file stories and photos, and update blogs and social media sites.

Inspiring the Next Generation

The U.S. National 4-H Council and Hughes recently announced a partnership to introduce more American youth to hands-on, community-based science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning. The partnership includes a sponsorship from Hughes to demon- strate the excitement and opportunities of STEM through “Tech Takeover Days” at national 4-H camps; science events at local fairs; and National Youth Science Day, a national science experiment that engages young scientists from around the country. The effort will include a focus on small communities where resources for science-focused community programs are limited, and will help build future technol- ogy leaders to power the nation’s com- petitiveness in a global economy. Through a combination of targeted outreach and customer communications, Hughes will also help 4-H re-connect with its 25 million alumni across North America.

VSAT Milestone in India

Helping to bring banking to the most remote locations in India, Hughes Commu- nications India Limited (HCIL) recently reached a milestone of 10,000 operational VSATs with the Ministry of Finance ATM project since it began in 2012. In addition, Hughes has announced the first-ever deployment of white-label ATMs in the country, powered by its nationwide broadband satellite solution. There are currently 500 operational Hughes VSAT deployments of white-label ATMs in states such as Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh.