Hughes Technology Chosen for Broadband Satellite Services in Colombia

Bantel Telecom, Operating Hughes HN System Awarded Contractby Union Temporal
Conectando a Colombia for Compartel Project

GERMANTOWN, Md., Sept. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Hughes Network Systems, LLC
(HUGHES), the global leader in broadband satellite network solutions and
services, today announced that Bantel Telecom, LLC, a premier provider of
satellite communications in the Caribbean, Central America, and Andean Region,
was awarded a contract by Union Temporal Conectando a Colombia to provide
Ku-band satellite services utilizing its Hughes HN System. The contract is
part of the Compartel project, which is an initiative of the Colombian
government to promote telecommunications in remote communities of the country
with limited economic resources.

"We are very pleased by this award from Union Temporal Conectando a Colombia
to provide Internet access as part of the Compartel Program in Colombia," said
Ricardo Otaola, president of Bantel. "For Bantel, this contract is key and
reflects our solid growth in the region. We believe that our proven experience
of more than 18 years, combined with powerful satellite coverage and the
versatility of the Hughes HN7000S broadband satellite terminal, offers the
best service quality in the region. We are committed to the provision of
highly reliable services and strongly believe that Hughes technology with the
bandwidth efficiencies provided by features such as IPoS/DVB-S2 with the ACM
feature, as well as the robustness of the remote terminals and its maintenance
free functionality, match our service expectations as well as those of our
customers."

"We are very proud to be part of this important project for Colombia with
Bantel," said Nick Marzella, vice president, International Division, Hughes.
"Bantel's selection of our HN platform to provide the service to Union
Temporal Conectando a Colombia is confirmation of the many advantages of
Hughes technology- providing highly efficient bandwidth utilization that
enables operators like Bantel to maximize satellite capacity and contain costs
as they grow their businesses."

About Bantel Telecom
Bantel Telecom, LLC (Bantel) is the first satellite telecommunication company
in Florida with a presence in Venezuela, Colombia, the Caribbean, and Central
America. Bantel offers a wide variety of products and telecommunication
services designed to serve industries such as Banking, Energy, Government,
Education, Telematics, Retail, Military, and others. With a cutting edge
technological background and proven experience beyond 18 years in all the
fields mentioned, Bantel focuses on providing efficiencies and applying added
value to each and every one of its customers.

For additional information, please visit www.banteltelecom.com.

About Union Temporal Conectando a Colombia
Union Temporal Conectando a Colombia (UTCAC) is formed by a group of Colombian
companies based out of the city of Medellin dedicated to the integration of
high-end technological solutions over IP. UTCAC was awarded in 2008 by the
Colombian Ministry of Telecommunications, through its Compartel Program, a
contract to serve 872 remote institutions with broadband access throughout the
regions of Antioquia, La Guajira and Tolima in the central part of Colombia.

For additional information, please visit www.cac.net.co.

About Hughes Network Systems
Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES) is the global leader in providing
broadband satellite networks and services for large 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 1.9
million systems to customers in over 100 countries.

Headquartered outside Washington, D.C., in Germantown, Maryland, USA, Hughes
maintains sales and support offices worldwide. Hughes is a wholly owned
subsidiary of Hughes Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq: HUGH). For additional
information, please visit 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,
judy.blake@hughes.com; or Donna Armstrong of Brodeur Partners,
+1-202-775-2650, darmstrong@brodeur.com