The EchoStar 19 satellite’s infrastructure, scheduled to launch in 2016, will be similar to that of the EchoStar 17 (above). Photo:

[Via Satellite 02-24-2016] Mexico-based Internet service provider StarGroup has entered a contract worth more than $200 million for a significant portion of the capacity on EchoStar 19 and a Hughes Jupiter System for the launch of a high speed Internet service in Latin America. Under the contract, Hughes will supply a Jupiter gateway, high-performance Ka-band terminals and a comprehensive suite of managed services for operational and customer support.

Hughes will install a Jupiter gateway in the city of Arica, Chile, and manage it remotely from its Network Operations Center (NOC) in Germantown, Md. The Jupiter System’s flexible configuration management and Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) will enable rapid integration with StarGroup’s existing financial and customer support systems.

Under the managed services agreement, Hughes will provide StarGroup with Virtual Network Operator (VNO) access to capacity over EchoStar 19’s coverage in Mexico. The Jupiter System’s VNO capabilities will enable StarGroup to create and manage a range of budget-friendly service plans for its subscriber base, with Hughes providing tier two and tier three call center support, freeing StarGroup to focus its efforts on sales and marketing. EchoStar 19 is scheduled to launch in late 2016 on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas 5 rocket.