Hughes Helps Advance India’s Digital Transformation

In New Delhi last month, Hughes Communications India (HCI), a leading provider of broadband satellite and managed network services, previewed the future of connectivity in India. During the Technology Seminar for officials from government, Public Sector Undertakings (PSU) and Defense, Hughes executives spoke about the connected future and showcased networking innovations – many of which are made in India – in support of Government digital transformation efforts across the country. The Hughes team was joined by leaders from OneWeb, the low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite provider, for which Hughes is the India distribution partner.

Speaking on the occasion, Partho Banerjee, president & managing director, HCI, said, “HCI, the leader of satellite broadband, primarily focuses on the enterprise market comprised of government, defense, banking, oil and gas, amongst others, and has deployed and manages multiple government and defense communications networks. As the satellite and telecom market evolve, we truly believe the future is in multi-orbit, multi transport networks via GEO and LEO satellite and 5G transports to further India's progress and advancement. We are privileged to be the India distribution partners of OneWeb and are well on track to bring low-latency LEO connectivity to India, expanding access to opportunities and significantly boosting India’s achievement of its digital ambitions.”

During the Seminar, Hughes highlighted multi-transport and both geostationary (GEO) and LEO satellite technologies, including dual-transport software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) routers and satellite equipment that enables anytime/anywhere connections. The SD-WAN products, Quick Deploy Antenna and Outdoor Satellite Router and are all proudly made in India.

Also, for the first time in India, the Hughes team revealed a new electronically steerable flat panel antenna, engineered to enable OneWeb service. Hughes is both an investor and a technology partner to OneWeb, designing and deploying the system’s gateway electronics and the core module used in every user terminal. LEO satellite connectivity offers a low-latency complement to GEO broadband, opening new opportunities for cutting-edge connectivity in the Indian market, whether as a managed broadband solution or part of a managed SD-WAN network.

Divya Sethi, VP, Commercial, AMEA Region, OneWeb, said, “OneWeb’s partnership with Hughes and our joint commitment to the Digital India vision has never been stronger. This is exemplified by the innovative new antenna that will offer an effective scalable connectivity solution and extend the reach of our enterprise-grade broadband communications to towns, villages, and municipalities all across India – even in the hardest-to-reach places.”