[Satellite Today – 6-17-08] Hughes Network Systems LLC (Hughes), will provide advanced Spaceway-3 broadband satellite equipment and services to broadband provider Barrett Xplore Inc. of New Brunswick, Canada, Hughes announced June 16. The contract includes satellite capacity on Spaceway-3, a gateway earth station, and remote terminals. Barrett Xplore will offer satellite broadband services to the Canadian market under its Xplornet brand.
    Initially, Barrett will roll out Ka-band service focusing primarily on the residential and home office market using pre-determined service packages that operate on Hughes gateway earth stations. Services for business and residential users on the Barrett Xplore owned and operated network are scheduled to be available in the second half of 2008.
    In separate news, Hughes also announced June 16 that the Automotive Broadcasting Network (ABN), a private auto retailing television network, had selected the HughesNet Managed Digital Media Service to distribute video content to automotive dealerships across the United States.
The Automotive Broadcasting Network is a subscription-based service providing entertainment programming from CBS not normally available during business hours, as well as clips and segments from CBS news and talk programs, to each dealer site.
    HughesNet Managed Digital Media Services includes project design and consulting, broadband transport for content distribution, hardware and software network components, installation, maintenance and customer support, leaving enterprises free to focus on marketing and sales.