Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES), the global leader in broadband satellite solutions and services, today announced that Hughes President Pradman P. Kaul received the 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award at the Via Satellite Excellence Awards breakfast ceremony held during the Satellite 2015 conference/exhibition in Washington, DC.
Via Satellite’s 2014 Excellence Awards recognize people, companies, and technologies that have helped shape the success of the global satellite industry. Kaul’s Lifetime Achievement Award honors his leadership of more than 30 years, citing among his many achievements: “the most noteworthy is that he successfully led Hughes as CEO since 2000 through several ownership changes, as well as becoming a publicly traded company between 2004 and 2010, all while retaining its top core employees and continuing positive growth, and remains as president of Hughes following its acquisition by EchoStar Corp. in June 2011. His leadership and vision have attracted some of the best talent in the satellite industry, as Hughes is home to over 1300 engineers and scientists and has been granted over 300 technology patents.”
Beginning with the invention of the first commercial VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) in 1983 and subsequent launch of the satellite networking industry, Kaul is recognized as a leading force for his contributions in both technology and business arenas. Throughout his career, Kaul and the Hughes team pioneered many of the seminal technology breakthroughs and business applications for satellite networks, including the current SPACEWAY™ and JUPITER™ satellite systems delivering broadband communications to consumers, businesses, and government organizations across the globe.
“I am honored by this recognition and grateful for the opportunity to lead the Hughes team in helping shape the satellite industry’s evolution,” Kaul said. “After all these years, I am more passionate and bullish than ever about the enormous potential of satellite technology in delivering the many benefits of broadband services to consumers and organizations no matter the location—as a mainstream part of the world’s telecom infrastructure.”
The Via Satellite award is the latest in a long history of industry honors for Kaul, including “Distinguished Engineering Alumnus” of University of California at Berkeley in 1999, the IEEE Third Millennium medal in 2000, and election to the National Academy of Engineering in 2004. In 2009, he was inducted into the Society of Satellite Professionals (SSPI) Hall of Fame and was awarded “Satellite Executive of the Year 2008” by Via Satellite magazine. In 2014, Kaul was inducted into the George Washington University Engineering Hall of Fame.
Kaul and the other award winners were selected by the Excellence Awards committee, made up of editors and other members of the Satellite Executive of the Year Committee.
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® is the #1 high-speed satellite Internet service in the marketplace with offerings to suit every budget. To date, Hughes has shipped more than 4 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), a premier global provider of satellite operations and digital TV solutions. For additional information about Hughes, please visit www.hughes.com.
