Hughes Network Systems, an EchoStar (Nasdaq: SATS) company, has announced its JUPITER™ 3 ultra-high-density satellite has successfully deployed its solar arrays and antennas, and the spacecraft has passed readiness testing by the manufacturer, Maxar Space Systems (see this link).
Hughes is now testing the satellite communications with ground equipment, which is the final step before initiating broadband services for customers such as airlines, corporations, governments, and consumers of its popular HughesNet service. The JUPITER 3 satellite will bring more than 500 Gbps of additional broadband capacity across North and South America.
The increased capacity of JUPITER 3 will power new HughesNet® satellite internet plans, including innovative HughesNet Fusion® Plans that use multipath technology to reduce latency for a more responsive internet experience.
JUPITER 3 will support the efforts by Hughes to bridge the digital divide and provide internet access to rural customers across the Americas, as well as applications such as in-flight Wi-Fi for airline passengers, enterprise networking, and cellular backhaul for mobile network operators (MNOs).
The JUPITER 3 orbital position is 22,236 miles (35,786 kilometers) above the equator at 95 degrees west.
“Reaching this milestone demonstrates the engineering excellence and innovation our team infused into this satellite. As the largest commercial satellite ever built, JUPITER 3 will double the capacity of our fleet serving more customers who live beyond the reach of cable and fiber internet by providing ubiquitous connectivity throughout the Americas. This achievement is a testament to the strength of our JUPITER System technology, the de facto standard for satellite connectivity.” — Hamid Akhavan, CEO, EchoStar
