A HughesNet Satellite Dish. Photo: Alan Levine

Hughes Network Systems launched HughesNet in Chile. Operating over the Hughes 63 West High-Throughput Satellite (HTS) payload, HughesNet reaches more than 98 percent of homes throughout Chile, including areas unserved or underserved by terrestrial providers. According to published figures on fixed internet connections from the Subsecretaria de Telecomunicaciones (SUBTEL) in Chile, it is estimated that nearly half of Chilean households either have no broadband internet access or their service is slower than 5 Mbps.

Service plans offered in Chile come with built-in Wi-Fi and include speeds of up to 50 Mbps download and 5 Mbps upload. HughesNet is powered by the latest generation of the Hughes JUPITER System, which employs the DVB-S2X standard. The JUPITER System supports applications such as Community Wi-Fi Hotspots, cellular backhaul and In-Flight Connectivity (IFC) services, in addition to broadband internet access.

“We are proud to help connect the unconnected in Chile with our signature high-speed satellite Internet service,” said Pradman Kaul, president of Hughes. “This follows the successful launch of HughesNet in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru – bringing people throughout the Americas the social, economic and educational benefits of the connected experience.”