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Hughes ships over 5,000 ESA terminals for OneWeb

The terminal ensures seamless connectivity by transitioning from one satellite beam to another every 11 seconds, offering continuous service.
Photo credit: Hughes Network Systems

Hughes Network Systems has announced the shipment of more than 5,000 HL1120W electronically steerable antenna (ESA) Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) terminals. This accomplishment cements Hughes’ position as a leading provider of enterprise-grade OneWeb LEO terminals.

The HL1120W terminal features a low-profile, full-duplex, self-aligning design equipped with a built-in modem. Specifically designed for the Eutelsat OneWeb LEO constellation, the terminal utilises a phased array antenna with no moving parts, enabling speeds of up to 195 Mbps down and 32 Mbps up. The terminal ensures seamless connectivity by transitioning from one satellite beam to another every 11 seconds, offering continuous service. These terminals are manufactured at Hughes’ new facility in Germantown, Maryland.

Commenting on the development, Paul Gaske, COO of Hughes, said: “We are seeing a digital transformation of both business and government services. This is creating a future where high-speed, low-latency connectivity needs to be ubiquitous. The EchoStar family of companies is meeting this demand by developing enterprise-class technologies that are mult-orbit, mult-transport, and globally available.”

Hughes also develops and manufactures the gateway electronics and core modules used in every terminal on the Eutelsat OneWeb LEO system. These gateways are capable of facilitating more than 10,000 beam-to-beam and satellite-to-satellite handoffs per second.

Massimilano Ladovaz, COO of Eutelsat Group, added: “We are pleased to work with Hughes as an engineering and distribution partner for the Eutelsat OneWeb service. Our LEO constellation offers customers a high-speed, low latency global connectivity experience and together with Hughes, we are able to support digital transformations in business and government.”

Hughes offers a fully managed LEO service that includes design, installation, maintenance, and capacity. This enterprise-grade, reliable, low-latency broadband service offers connectivity in remote locations. Coupled with Hughes Managed SD-WAN capabilities, business and government users can get connected when and where they need to do work.