DIRECWAY Delivers the Power of Broadband to 50,000 Small Businesses
June 28 2005 - 9:07AM
PR Newswire (US)
DIRECWAY Delivers the Power of Broadband to 50,000 Small Businesses
Small Businesses Rely on Satellite Broadband From Hughes Network
Systems to Bridge the Business Digital Divide GERMANTOWN, Md., June
28 /PRNewswire/ -- Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HNS) brings the
power and reach of satellite broadband to 50,000 small businesses
that reside in areas where digital subscriber line (DSL) or cable
broadband are not available. Utilizing HNS' DIRECWAY(R) service,
these businesses are able to enjoy always-on, two-way reliable
broadband Internet access by satellite -- without tying up their
phone lines. "There has been a lot of talk about the digital divide
among consumers without access to broadband Internet but little
mention has been made of a similar divide that exists among small
and medium businesses across the country. In the case of these
businesses, bridging this 'divide' can be the key to remaining
successful in an increasingly competitive economy," said Peter
Gulla, HNS vice president of consumer sales and marketing. "For
businesses that have been bypassed by terrestrial providers,
DIRECWAY offers a solution that delivers the broadband they need to
run their operations successfully. According to a 2004 Frost and
Sullivan report, "Broadband and the Role of Satellite Services," of
the over seven million business establishments in the United
States, more than 40 percent operate in areas where terrestrial
broadband is unavailable. This lack of access to wired broadband
resources poses a critical impediment to business operations. The
Frost and Sullivan report goes on to say that due to economics,
small businesses have been slower to adopt broadband services. For
them, there exists a bandwidth gap that has only recently begun to
be addressed by DSL in some regions. However, DSL is not uniformly
available because its performance degrades as the distance
increases between the customer and the telco's central office,
leaving many businesses, even those thought to be covered by DSL,
without broadband access. "Our business can't get cable or DSL. For
years, we relied on a dial-up connection and were beyond
frustrated," said Laurel Holsingerand of GNLD, a food supplement
distributor. "The DIRECWAY always-on satellite connection increases
my business productivity by giving me instant access to the
information that I need -- without the slow response of low-speed
dial-up connections," said Holsingerand. DIRECWAY provides always
on, two-way satellite access to the Internet, and offers download
speeds of up to 1 Mbps, about 20 times faster than dial-up,
together with static IP addressing and email options. Unlike
terrestrial broadband options, satellite is not hindered by
geography. It is available everywhere in the continental United
States with a clear view of the southern sky. About Hughes Network
Systems Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HNS) is the world's leading
provider of broadband satellite network solutions for businesses
and consumers, with more than 800,000 systems ordered or shipped to
customers in 85 countries. HNS pioneered the development of
high-speed satellite Internet access services and IP-based
networks, which it markets globally under the DIRECWAY(R) brand.
DIRECWAY(R) terminals are based on the IPoS (IP over Satellite)
global standard, approved by the TIA, ETSI, and ITU standards
organizations. Headquartered outside Washington, D.C., in
Germantown, Maryland, USA, HNS maintains sales and support offices
worldwide. The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (HYSE: DTV) and SkyTerra
Communications, Inc. (OTC:SKYT) (BULLETIN BOARD: SKYT) each own 50%
of HNS. SkyTerra is its managing member. For additional
information, please visit http://www.hns.com/. HUGHES and Hughes
Network Systems are trademarks of Hughes Network Systems, LLC. All
other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
DATASOURCE: Hughes Network Systems, LLC CONTACT: Judy Blake of
Hughes Network Systems, +1-301-601-7330, ; or Donna L. Taylor of
Brodeur, +1-202-775-2650, , for Hughes Network Systems Web site:
http://www.hns.com/
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