HUGHES Honored by Maryland Hi-Tech Council

Company named 'High Technology Firm of the Year'

GERMANTOWN, Md., May 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Hughes Communications,
Inc. (HUGHES), the global leader in broadband satellite network solutions and
services, today announced that the Company was named "High Technology Firm of
the Year" by the Tech Council of Maryland (TCM) at its annual dinner and tech
awards celebration held May 15, 2008 at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and
Conference Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
For 20 years TCM has recognized the outstanding achievements of the IT and
biotechnology communities in the state of Maryland. Award winners are
selected by a panel of industry TCM members and service providers from
throughout the state.
"We are extremely proud to receive this award from the Maryland Hi-Tech
Council," commented Pradman Kaul, president and CEO of Hughes. "It is indeed a
special honor for Hughes to be recognized by an organization of its high
technology peers."
The High Technology Firm of the Year Award acknowledges the company which
has innovative technologies and products that are making a difference in the
way companies do business. Criteria include:
-- Innovative products and services relevant to the market
-- Strong long-term prospects for business
-- Market penetration and impact
-- Positive influence in the marketplace
-- Significant, measurable success including: increased revenue; profit;
and employee growth
-- A crisply executed growth strategy

In 2006, Mr. Kaul was named "Executive of the Year" by TCM for his
outstanding leadership of Hughes.
About The Tech Council of Maryland
The Tech Council of Maryland (TCM) is the largest technology trade group
serving the advanced technology and biotechnology communities of Maryland.
TCM's mission is to advocate for the interests of the technology community,
further the role of technology in the Maryland economy, and nurture an
environment where technology companies can collaborate, grow, and succeed. For
more information, visit http://www.techcouncilmd.com.
About Hughes Communications, Inc.
Hughes Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq: HUGH) is the 100 percent owner of
Hughes Network Systems, LLC. Hughes is the global leader in providing
broadband satellite networks and services for enterprises, governments, small
businesses, and consumers. HughesNet(R) encompasses all broadband solutions
and managed services from Hughes, bridging the best of satellite and
terrestrial technologies. Its broadband satellite products are based on global
standards approved by the TIA, ETSI and ITU standards organizations, including
IPoS/DVB-S2, RSM-A and GMR-1. To date, Hughes has shipped more than 1.5
million systems to customers in over 100 countries.
Headquartered outside Washington, D.C., in Germantown, Maryland, USA,
Hughes maintains sales and support offices worldwide. For more information,
please visit http://www.hughes.com.
Hughes and HughesNet are registered trademarks of Hughes Network Systems,
LLC.
SOURCE Hughes Network Systems, LLC

Judy Blake of Hughes Network Systems, LLC, +1-301-601-7330, jblake@hns.com; or
Donna Armstrong of Brodeur, +1-202-775-2650, darmstrong@brodeur.com, for
Hughes Network Systems, LLC