Hughes Ships First Gateways for the Ground Network to Support OneWeb's Low Earth Orbit Constellation

March 13, 2018

Hughes Network Systems, LLC announced the shipment of the first gateways that will support the OneWeb Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation. The Gateways feature multiple tracking antennas to support operation and handoff of high-speed user traffic to and from the LEO satellites, as well as a custom switching complex, outdoor modems and power amplifiers. Each gateway will handle up to an unprecedented and seamless 10,000 terminal hand-offs per second, a technological and engineering breakthrough.

This shipment is the first of many key operational milestones to come of the Hughes-OneWeb partnership. The co-development is demonstrative of the joint commitment to bridging the global digital divide and bringing affordable broadband service to everyone, no matter where they live. With more than half of the world still lacking access to affordable, reliable Internet, OneWeb's service will provide high-speed, low latency service to even the most remote and rural locations.

"I founded OneWeb with a big mission – to enable affordable access for all," said Greg Wyler, founder and executive chairman of OneWeb. "Accomplishing this mission is only possible with the shared commitment, dedication and passion from our partners. Hughes brings tremendous expertise and experience in hardware design, manufacturing and delivery of complex global networks and has been supportive of our mission since the very beginning."

"Bridging the digital divide requires innovative, complex systems and strategic partnerships where both parties are in sync, working towards the same goal," said John Corrigan, senior vice president at Hughes. "Pairing Hughes and OneWeb's expertise is exactly the kind of partnership that will enable us to accomplish that feat."