Brazil’s flag. Photo: R. Loewenthal

Hughes Network Systems said Tuesday that it successfully completed a three-month pilot program for a new “Community LTE” service that provided broadband connectivity to five villages in Brazil.

To provide the Community LTE service, Hughes installs mobile hotspots across several kilometers of remote regions to connect people and businesses in those regions to the internet by satellite. It is similar to Hughes’ Community Wi-Fi Hotspot services that combine Wi-Fi access points with satellite backhaul to provide internet to remote end-users. Customers also access the LTE broadband service similarly by purchasing data at a local retailer who hosts the hotspot.

Hughes said that hundreds of people have used the LTE service since launching the pilot program. The company recruited local retailers to host the Community LTE hotspots and provided marketing and training support so they could manage sales and earn revenue.

In the announcement, the company quoted Ivone Cordeiro, a resident of the town of Japonvar in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. “We live in the rural area, and the phone signal here is really poor,” she said. “Now, even being about a kilometer away from the center of town, the Hughes service allows me to use internet in my house with a good signal and speed, and even use text apps or social media.”

“Connecting the unconnected is a global imperative, yet no single type of transport can solve the digital divide,” added Bhanu Durvasula, vice president of Hughes’ International division. “Our Community LTE program exemplifies a multi-transport solution that combines LTE and satellite to expand coverage to those in need. It’s another solution that governments and mobile network operators can implement to extend networks and connect more people, cost-effectively.”