Hughes Network Systems, an EchoStar company, today announced its JUPITER 3 ultra-high-density satellite has successfully deployed its solar arrays and antennas, and the spacecraft has passed readiness testing by the manufacturer, Maxar Space Systems.
Hughes is now testing the satellite communications with ground equipment, which is the final step before initiating broadband services for customers such as airlines, corporations, governments, and consumers of its popular HughesNet service. The JUPITER 3 satellite will bring over 500 Gbps of additional broadband capacity across North and South America.
“Reaching this milestone demonstrates the engineering excellence and innovation our team infused into this satellite,” said Hamid Akhavan, CEO, EchoStar.
“As the largest commercial satellite ever built, JUPITER 3 will double the capacity of our fleet serving more customers who live beyond the reach of cable and fiber internet by providing ubiquitous connectivity throughout the Americas. This achievement is a testament to the strength of our JUPITER System technology, the de facto standard for satellite connectivity.”
The increased capacity of JUPITER 3 will power new HughesNet® satellite internet plans, including innovative HughesNet Fusion® Plans that use multipath technology to reduce latency for a more responsive internet experience.
JUPITER 3 will support the efforts by Hughes to bridge the digital divide and provide internet access to rural customers across the Americas, as well as applications such as in-flight Wi-Fi for airline passengers, enterprise networking, and cellular backhaul for mobile network operators (MNOs).
The JUPITER 3 orbital position is 22,236 miles (35,786 kilometers) above the equator at 95 degrees west. For more information and to follow along on the journey to JUPITER 3, visit the Hughes website.
About Hughes
Hughes Network Systems, LLC, an EchoStar (Nasdaq: SATS) company, provides broadband equipment and services; managed services featuring smart, software-defined networking; and end-to-end network operation for millions of consumers, businesses, governments, airlines, and communities worldwide. The Hughes flagship internet service, HughesNet®, connects millions of people across the Americas, and the Hughes JUPITER™ System powers internet access for tens of millions more worldwide. Hughes supplies more than half the global satellite terminal market to leading satellite operators, mobile network operators and military customers. Hughes products and services have helped bring in-flight video and broadband to thousands of aircraft for over twenty years. A managed network services provider, Hughes supports approximately half a million enterprise sites with its HughesON™ portfolio of wired and wireless solutions.
Featured image credited to Maxar
