Hughes Technology Selected by HISPASAT to Bridge Digital Divide in Rural Colombia

Hughes has been awarded a contract for an HX broadband satellite system and terminals by HISPASAT Colombia, a subsidiary of Spanish satellite operator HISPASAT, to power delivery of high-speed satellite Internet service as part of Colombia's Ministry of Information Technology and Communication's (MinTIC) Vive Digital program. It is the latest in a series of government contracts to help bridge the digital divide in seven underserved regions of the country.

"HISPASAT chose Hughes due to the broad coverage and advanced capabilities of Hughes broadband satellite systems," said Sergio Chaves, business director for South America at HISPASAT. "There is growing demand for satellite broadband services for potentially millions of households that cannot be served by terrestrial networks anytime soon. Hughes market leadership and advanced technology combined with a history of delivering reliable service were key decision-points for our partnership."

Hughes is supplying its market-leading HX System, comprising an economical gateway and high-performance broadband terminals, for approximately 650 Vive Digital kiosks (KVDs) in a HISPASAT service region of Colombia. HISPASAT, which has formed a consortium with NEC Colombia for the program, will install and operate the system as a managed service for MinTIC.

"We're helping to change lives for the better through the advantages of the Internet," said Hugo Frega, Hughes senior director of sales, Latin America. "HISPASAT is helping Colombia make a technological leap through this important national initiative that will bring opportunity to the masses, and Hughes is proud to be the chosen technology provider."

Optimized for carrier-grade IP broadband networking, the HX System has proven itself in numerous countries as the ideal choice for digital divide programs such as Vive Digital. The HISPASAT/NEC Colombia consortium is one of several operators contracted to deliver and manage KVDs as part of the $283.71 million project. MinTIC expects that by August 2014 there will be a total of 6,648 sites operating in remote parts of Colombia.