New Effort to Analyze Payload Architectures and Ground System Development

Hughes Network Systems, LLC (Hughes), the global leader in broadband satellite solutions and services, and a leading provider of managed network and application services, today announced it was awarded an extension contract by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) for its current study of commercial communications satellite (COCOMSAT) systems capabilities. The extension calls for analyzing enterprise trade-offs between modems and teleports, satellite communication payloads, terminal constraints, performance, and operations and mission planning, with the results to be delivered to the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Command Center’s Military Satellite Communications (MILSATCOM) Systems Directorate in early 2012.

“Hughes is proud to extend its analysis of commercial satellite architectures and acquisition approaches for the U.S. military,” said Rick Lober, vice president and general manager of Hughes Defense and Intelligence Systems Division. “The team has made great strides examining requirements and testing processing architectures, such as those found on Hughes SPACEWAY(R) 3 and Jupiter(TM) satellites. We look forward to helping the DoD determine how to best meet the needs of our warfighters, especially in light of our austere budget environment,” added Lober.

About Hughes Network Systems

Hughes Network Systems, LLC (Hughes) is the world’s leading provider of satellite broadband for home and office, delivering innovative network technologies, managed services, and solutions for enterprises and governments globally. HughesNet(R) is the #1 high-speed satellite Internet service in the marketplace, with offerings to suit every budget. To date, Hughes has shipped more than 2.5 million systems to customers in over 100 countries, representing over 50 percent market share. Its products employ global standards approved by the TIA, ETSI and ITU organizations, including IPoS/DVB-S2, RSM-A, and GMR-1.

Headquartered outside Washington, D.C., in Germantown, Maryland, USA, Hughes operates sales and support offices worldwide, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ:SATS – News), a premier global provider of satellite operations and digital TV solutions. For additional information about Hughes, please visit www.hughes.com.