Photo: Mexico’s ​​​CFE Telecomunicaciones program.

Stargroup has selected Hughes Network Systems’ Jupiter system to extend LTE service in rural Mexico, the companies announced Wednesday. Stargroup is connecting hundreds of remote cell towers to the network core using Hughes Jupiter System terminals and Hughes Jupiter 2 high-throughput satellite capacity.

This is part of an initiative by Mexican government agency Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE) to bridge the digital divide called “Internet para Todos.” 

The Hughes Jupiter 2 satellite allows rural mobile phone users to connect to the internet with high-speed Ka-band capacity and enterprise-grade service level agreements to meet the criteria for service delivery set by CFE Telecom. At each location in the deployment, a Hughes remote terminal, designed for LTE backhaul, provides services at 20-60 Mbps down.

Several service providers, including Stargroup, are employing Hughes Jupiter System technology to connect more than 7,200 Community Wi-Fi and internet access sites across Mexico.

“The government has made it a priority to extend internet access to every municipal capital in Mexico, and we are proud to help achieve that objective together with Hughes,” said Monica Aguirre, Stargroup CEO. “In areas of the country outside the reach of fiber, the only way to access the internet is by satellite, and Hughes Jupiter technology sets the standard when it comes to LTE backhaul by satellite.”