Hughes and PSN Launch Community Wi-Fi Service throughout Indonesia, Bridging the Digital Divide and Empowering Communities

Satellite-enabled Wi-Fi Hotspots connect more than one million Indonesians to the Internet  

Germantown, MD, March 21, 2019 — Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES), the global leader in broadband satellite networks and services, and PT Pasifik Satelit Nusantara (PSN), the oldest private telecommunication and information service provider in Indonesia, today announced the deployment of their 2,000th Community Wi-Fi Hotspot in the country. With an average of 500 people having access to each hotspot, Hughes and PSN now enable Internet access for over one million Indonesians, helping to bridge the digital divide in this nation where the Internet penetration rate is 36%. 

Hughes Community Wi-Fi employs satellite backhaul to extend Internet service to users beyond the reach of terrestrial broadband, without requiring costly infrastructure. Installed at a local shop or community center, the solution includes a compact VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) and Wi-Fi equipment, which delivers industry standard 802.11 signals across a 30-50 meter radius for customer use. The local merchant sells access to consumers on a cost-per-use basis, supporting affordable digital inclusion through a new service revenue stream. 

“Before we began providing Community Wi-Fi service, many rural towns throughout Indonesia did not have reliable broadband Internet service,” said Adi Rahman Adiwoso, Chief Executive Officer at PSN. “We are proud to report that, today, we have connected 2,000 villages to the Internet, and we plan to reach even more as we continue to bridge the digital divide and spur community development with the Hughes model of satellite-enabled Community Wi-Fi.”

“Our partnership witrh PSN exemplifies the vital role of High-Throughput Satellite (HTS) technology in connecting the unconnected,” said Ramesh Ramaswamy, senior vice president and general manager, International Division at Hughes. “The Community Wi-Fi solution and business model is an ideal way to promote expansion of affordable Internet access in towns and communities everywhere, especially in areas with lower per capita income.”

The Hughes Community Wi-Fi solution for PSN combines the Hughes JUPITER™ System, the next generation VSAT platform designed and optimized for broadband services, with capacity from the PSN VI High-Throughput Satellite. The JUPITER System enables PSN to achieve the highest possible capacity and efficiency while preventing fraud and misuse with the built-in ability to lock the Wi-Fi access point to the VSAT modem.