Hughes Network Systems LLC, an EchoStar company, today announced that it has been awarded a five-year, Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract by the U.S. Space Force for proliferated Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite-based services. Under the IDIQ vehicle, valued at up to $900 million, U.S. Department of Defense, other federal agencies and international coalition partners can procure fully managed, low-latency LEO services from Hughes leveraging capacity on two constellations: OneWeb and EchoStar Lyra™.
"As government and defense agencies explore the power and potential of LEO services in delivering capabilities to the warfighter faster and at lower cost, we're proud to offer not one, but two compelling solutions," said Leslie Blaker-Glass, vice president, Hughes. "Our OneWeb offering – with our low-power, light-weight, flat panel antenna – and our next-generation EchoStar Lyra S-band IoT system position us to deliver customers in the DoD and federal government robust and resilient low-latency connectivity at a competitive price."
Hughes previously announced a distribution agreement with OneWeb Technologies Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of OneWeb, to deliver managed, wideband LEO services to the DoD; those services are now available under the IDIQ and the GSA Schedule. Also available under the IDIQ are narrowband services over the EchoStar Lyra constellation, the system that EchoStar, parent company of Hughes, is developing for Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity and ongoing market development that includes 5G non-terrestrial networks (NTN).
"These important LEO capabilities will give the DoD cost-effective solutions and added reliability and resiliency in satellite communications across all domains and we look forward to addressing upcoming requirements for procurement of these services," added Rick Lober, vice president and general manager, Defense and Government Systems Division, Hughes.
About Hughes
Hughes Network Systems LLC, an EchoStar company, provides broadband equipment and services; managed services featuring smart, software-defined networking; and end-to-end network operation for millions of consumers, businesses, governments and communities worldwide. The Hughes flagship internet service, HughesNet®, connects millions of people across the Americas, and the Hughes JUPITER™ System powers internet access for tens of millions more worldwide. Hughes supplies more than half the global satellite terminal market to leading satellite operators, in-flight service providers, mobile network operators and military customers. A managed network services provider, Hughes supports approximately half a million enterprise sites with its HughesON™ portfolio of wired and wireless solutions.