Hughes expands Russia business with JSC Iskra R&D

GERMANTOWN, USA & MOSCOW, RUSSIA: Hughes Network Systems LLC announced the signing of a multi-year contract with joint-stock company Iskra Research & Development (JSC Iskra R&D), one of the largest VSAT operators in Russia, to supply a new HN System and up to 3,000 broadband satellite terminals.

Additionally, JSC Iskra R&D will establish an authorized service center at its Krasnoyarsk operations facility for Hughes satellite terminal products.

Founded more than 50 years ago, JSC Iskra R&D provides telecom services to a wide range of customers in Russia, including state institutions, telecom operators and large, medium and small businesses. Today, it operates one of the country's largest satellite communications networks, with over 8,000 sites in service on three satellites and three HN System NOCs, including the latest generation Hughes VSAT terminals.

"Today an operator's business goes well beyond provisioning high-speed Internet access and voice over IP services," said Andrey Romulov, CEO of JSC Iskra R&D. "In particular, satellite technology has advanced significantly in performance and cost-effectiveness, opening up new market opportunities for a wide spectrum of broadband solutions across all customer segments- from VPN networks, to videoconferencing and broadcast/ multicast solutions-which is only possible using the latest systems and technologies, such as those provided by Hughes."

Arunas Slekys, VP and GM, Russia/CIS for Hughes, commented: "We are proud to expand our relationship with JSC Iskra R&D, a long-time Hughes customer and progressive telecom operator in Russia's heartland. They are well-qualified to serve as a cost-effective service center for our terminal products, which only helps strengthen our leadership position in delivering the highest quality broadband satellite solutions for the Russian market-now with more than 40,000 Hughes VSATs shipped, well over 50 percent market share."