Wi-Fi on the Go: Hughes and Wayport Team to Bring Wi-Fi to the HughesNet Subscriber on the Road

Wi-Fi on the Go: Hughes and Wayport Team to Bring Wi-Fi to the HughesNet Subscriber on the Road

Hughes and Wayport to accommodate the increasingly mobile lifestyle of HughesNet(R) subscribers at McDonald's and other strategic locations

GERMANTOWN, Md., May 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES), the global leader in broadband satellite network solutions and services, today announced that it has reached an agreement with Wayport, Inc. to provide Wi-Fi services to its HughesNet subscribers at more than 10,000 locations in the U.S., including selected premium hotels, participating McDonald's(R) restaurants, and Hertz(R) airport locations.

The growing integration of mobile and wireless technologies into every aspect of life-home, office, and recreation-is fueling peoples' need to access information and to stay connected with family and friends no matter where they are. According to a lifestyle study conducted by Hughes, HughesNet subscribers are constantly on the go(1). Accessing Wi-Fi service at over 9,500 participating McDonald's and selected hotels and airports ensures they can get the information they want conveniently. Subscribers will be able to access Wi- Fi using their laptops, mobile handsets, PDAs, gaming devices, media players, cameras, and other browserless devices.

"Whether travelling for business or pleasure, HughesNet subscribers on the road can now enjoy high-speed Internet access at thousands of Wi-Fi locations conveniently, and for only $14.99 a month," said Mark Wymer, Hughes vice president of marketing.

According to Gartner, about half of the people in the U.S. who have Wi-Fi in their laptops are accessing hotspots.

"This new agreement confirms the commitment we have made to open up our network for key industry operators like Hughes," said Dave Vucina, CEO of Wayport. "The expansion of Wi-Fi in devices and services brings more and more customers and subscribers into the venues we serve and gives Hughes the opportunity to bring more value to its customers."

The Wi-Fi package is available to HughesNet subscribers for $14.99 a month and will give subscribers the luxury of unlimited Wi-Fi access at select locations across the U.S.

HughesNet is available throughout the continental U.S., and currently serves over 400,000 consumers and small businesses in over 26,000 zip codes underserved by cable and DSL. For more information about HughesNet consumer and small business broadband satellite services, please visit www.hughesnet.com or call 1-866-859-2268.

   (1) Hughes Network Systems Customer Lifestyle Survey, 2007    About Wayport, Inc.  

Founded in 1996 and based in Irving, Texas, Wayport helps some of the world's top brands enhance their customers' experience. Wayport supports innovative organizations with breakthrough network management, serving nearly 12,000 directly enabled and managed locations across 35 countries. Wayport serves notable brands in a variety of vertical markets, including AT&T customers through a managed service agreement. Wayport helps clients create new business capabilities and improve operational efficiencies at premier venues including major hotels, hospitals, McDonald's and Hertz locations, and other retail brands worldwide. To learn more about Wayport, please visit www.wayport.net.

About Hughes Network Systems

Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES) is the global leader in providing broadband satellite networks and services for large enterprises, governments, small businesses, and consumers. HughesNet encompasses all broadband solutions and managed services from Hughes, bridging the best of satellite and terrestrial technologies. Its broadband satellite products are based on global standards approved by the TIA, ETSI and ITU standards organizations, including IPoS/DVB-S2, RSM-A, and GMR-1. To date, Hughes has shipped more than 1.5 million systems to customers in over 100 countries

Headquartered outside Washington, D.C., in Germantown, Maryland, USA, Hughes maintains sales and support offices worldwide. Hughes is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hughes Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:HUGH) . For additional information, please visit www.hughes.com.

(C) 2008 Hughes Network Systems, LLC. Hughes and HughesNet are registered trademarks of Hughes Network Systems, LLC. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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Source: Hughes Network Systems, LLC

CONTACT: Judy Blake, Hughes Network Systems, +1-301-601-7330,
jblake@hns.com; Donna Armstrong, Brodeur, +1-202-775-2650,
dtaylor@brodeur.com, for Hughes

Web site: http://www.hughes.com/
http://www.hughesnet.com/

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