In Brazil, It’s All about Growth

Demand for high-speed Internet is exploding all around the world. Nowhere is that more true than in Brazil, where despite a volatile economy worldwide, economic growth hit a 25-year record high in 2010. That kind of national expansion has contributed to the double-digit growth Hughes Brazil is experiencing.

It’s also what keeps Hughes Brazil on its toes. Headquartered in São Paulo, the economic center of the country, Hughes Brazil now counts more than 50 employees, including personnel in Rio and the capital Brasilia—all deeply focused on providing the best corporate telecom services in Brazil.

Serving the Enterprise Market

A major player in the country’s booming enterprise telecom business, Hughes Brazil provides a wide range of managed network services to enterprises in a variety of industries, such as banking, oil and gas, retail, and utilities. Enterprises rely on the powerful suite of continentwide Hughes satellite telecom services to connect their branches to company headquarters, back up traditional terrestrial networks, and access high-speed Internet and intranet VPN networks.

For example, Hughes Brazil recently signed a $5.3 million USD, five-year contract with Servico Federal de Processamento de Dados (Serpro), the data processing company of the federal government, to provide high-bandwidth satellite connectivity. Similarly, Brazilian integrator VAT is combining Hughes satellite technology with TVs and videoconferencing software to provide distance learning at hundreds of sites.

Education in Remote Areas

Indeed, public educational initiatives such as distance learning are critical in Brazil with its vast difficult-to-reach areas. Schools and universities contract with Hughes Brazil to deliver educational programming via Hughes service. The interactive programs enable remote students to communicate directly with teachers in real time and receive the same quality education as if they were in the same classroom. Today, the state of Amazonas is using interactive Hughes solutions to bring distance education to over 30,000 students; similar solutions are being used in Bahia and Mato Grosso, with the total number of students throughout the country estimated at over 100,000. By the end of 2012, students in six Brazilian states will benefit from these programs.

Telecom Customers

Hughes Brazil also furnishes turnkey corporate telecom solutions to large fixed operators such as Telefonica and Oi, which resell Hughes highspeed satellite services throughout the country. In addition, Hughes Brazil is delivering a satellite-based GSM backhaul solution to top cellular providers Vivo and Tim, which provide cell phone access to nearly half a million people in the northeastern region of Brazil.

New Ventures

Those traveling in vessels along the coast of Brazil are now able to stay connected with Hughes Brazil’s new maritime high-speed satellite service. This service enables those aboard rigs and maintenance boats engaged in offshore oil and gas exploration, as well as cargo ships, cruise ships, tankers, yachts, and fishing vessels, to browse the Internet, access email, and conduct online business with uniform, high-quality connectivity.

And earlier this year, Hughes Brazil won two orbital slots in an auction conducted by ANATEL, the Brazilian communications regulatory authority. Hughes Brazil will use the new slots to expand its video and data service offerings.

Agility is the Thing

“Brazil is a highly competitive environment and we constantly challenge ourselves to continue our steady growth without losing our agility and flexibility,” said Delio Morais, president of HNSA. “We’re very serious about being the best telecom service provider in Brazil, and we understand that means to genuinely put the customer’s needs first.”

That’s why the Hughes Brazil team is always thinking several years ahead—brainstorming opportunities, planning what services to offer the market next, and maintaining its steady growth in one of the fastest growing regions in the world.