Signal Mountain Networks, Inc., an SBA-certified, veteran owned HUBZone provider of integrated satellite, terrestrial, and wireless WAN solutions, and Hughes Network Systems, LLC, the global leader in broadband satellite solutions and services, today announced the successful implementation of a managed satellite network at 80 sites for the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

Under the contract, Signal Mountain and its subcontractor, Hughes, are providing the USGS with on-going satellite communications services for collection of data from sites in the US and Caribbean in support of the Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS) of the Global Seismographic Network (GSN). The contract was awarded in 2014 with $1 Million in total contract funding and is currently in the first of 3 option years available.

“By selecting Signal Mountain for this managed network services project, USGS has established a valuable relationship with a strong system integrator,” said Jonathan Huffman, President of Signal Mountain. “Signal Mountain and its partner, Hughes, bring decades of experience in managing the deployment of mission-critical networks, and are extremely proud to be serving USGS in this capacity.”

The mission of ANSS is to provide accurate and timely data and information for seismic events, including their effects on buildings and structures by employing new monitoring methods and technologies. Signal Mountain and Hughes are enabling this mission by providing USGS with a robust, resilient, and fully managed private satellite network solution comprised of a FIPS-certified secure private network, dual Network Operations Centers (NOCs), and a multi-satellite platform solution to ensure service continuity.

“Hughes is proud to support Signal Mountain in fulfillment of this important contract,” said Tony Bardo, assistant vice president of Government Solutions. “Our experienced team will deliver the highest level of network performance and reliability to enable USGS achieve its project goals in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible.”

About Signal Mountain
Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Signal Mountain Networks is an SBA-certified, veteran owned HUBZone firm that provides integrated satellite network solutions for government and commercial customers worldwide. The company holds a federal GSA IT Schedule 70 contract that includes global transponder and subscription services, equipment, training, field support, professional services, and Signal Mountain’s own line of SCOUT® turnkey satellite baseband systems.

About Hughes Network Systems
Hughes Network Systems, LLC (Hughes) is the global leader in satellite broadband for home and office, delivering innovative solutions and a comprehensive suite of HughesON™ managed services for enterprises and governments worldwide. 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 5 million systems to customers in over 100 countries, representing approximately 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.

About EchoStar
EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS) is a premier global provider of satellite and video delivery solutions. Headquartered in Englewood, Colo., and conducting business around the globe, EchoStar is a pioneer in secure communications technologies through its EchoStar Satellite Services, EchoStar Technologies Corporation and Hughes Network Systems business segments