PARIS, September 10, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --
Hughes and Yahsat to
provide commercial Ka-band satellite broadband service
across Africa, Middle East and southwest Asia
Yahsat, a leading global satellite
operator based in the United Arab
Emirates (UAE) and wholly owned by Mubadala Investment
Company, and Hughes Network Systems (HUGHES), a subsidiary of
EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), today announced an agreement
to enter into a joint venture to provide commercial Ka-band
satellite broadband services across Africa, the Middle
East and southwest Asia.
This new venture combines Hughes deep expertise as the global
leader in broadband satellite networks and services with Yahsat's
unique position and knowledge as the leader in satellite broadband
solutions across these regions. Hughes will purchase a minority
interest in the venture.
(Logo:
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(Logo:
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The new venture will continue to
provide unserved and underserved communities with reliable,
high-speed Internet services operating over Yahsat's Al Yah 2 (AY2) and Al
Yah 3 (AY3) Ka-band satellites, and leveraging the
capabilities of the Hughes JUPITER™ System, designed and optimized
for large scale High-Throughput Satellites (HTS). Hughes will also
supply its proven Operating and Business Support System (OSS/BSS)
solutions for comprehensive network operations and management.
Initially, the venture will focus on
"direct-to-premise services" to homes and small- to medium-sized
enterprises, and to community centers and schools that are served
under local government programs across these regions. In parallel,
there will be an increased focus on "community hotspot" solutions
to make satellite-enabled broadband more accessible to many more
users across the AY2 and AY3 footprint, which currently covers more
than 1 billion people. In addition, the venture will also aim to
capitalize on the accelerating transition towards Ka-band based
backhaul and carrier solutions from mobile network operators.
Masood M.
Sharif Mahmood, chief executive officer, Yahsat said: "The
partnership with Hughes plays a significant role in Yahsat's growth
story and serves as an important step in achieving our vision to
providing global satellite broadband services to individuals,
communities, governments and businesses in unserved and underserved
communities. Yahsat's remarkable track record and experience in
operating YahClick, combined with Hughes technology leadership and
experience, are a winning proposition to unlock the mass market
potential of satellite broadband services across the region. I am
very pleased to see our longstanding partnership with Hughes as a
supplier over the years now advance to this strategic and very
important joint venture for Yahsat."
Pradman
Kaul, president of Hughes, said: "Yahsat has been a valued
customer for many years, incorporating our JUPITER System and
operating expertise into their services. This next step in our
relationship is a natural evolution that builds on our shared
commitment to connecting the unconnected and reflects our strategy
to partner with leading providers around the world. Our investment
in this venture will expand our presence in Africa, the Middle
East and southwest Asia
markets, where broadband demand is expected to grow exponentially
in the coming years."
Completion of the transaction is
subject to customary regulatory approvals and closing conditions,
and is expected to occur later this year.
Press Conference
Yahsat and Hughes will host a press
conference on Tuesday, September 11
at 2:30 p.m. Paris time at the Westin Paris. Members of the
media who cannot attend in person are invited to join by
teleconference. For details, please visit:
http://www.hughes.com/pressconference .
About Yahsat
For more information, visit
http://www.yahsat.ae.
About Hughes Network
Systems
For additional information about
Hughes, please visit http://www.hughes.com and
follow @HughesConnects on Twitter.
About EchoStar
For more information,
visit http://www.echostar.com. Follow @EchoStar on
Twitter.
SOURCE Yahsat