Yahsat and Hughes form satellite joint venture in Brazil

Business Bureau, Gulf Today

Al Yah Satellite Communications Company (Yahsat), a leading global satellite operator based in the United Arab Emirates and wholly owned by Mubadala Investment Company (Mubadala), and Hughes Network Systems, (HUGHES), a subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation, has announced an agreement to enter into a joint venture to provide commercial Ka-band satellite broadband services in Brazil. This new venture combines Hughes experience delivering satellite networks and services in Brazil with Yahsat’s strong position and capabilities in the region. Hughes will hold the majority interest in the joint venture.

The new entity will combine Hughes do Brazil with Yahsat’s consumer broadband company in Brazil, creating a strong value proposition to serve the growing market demand for a wide range of broadband services, including consumer Internet access, enterprise networks, cellular backhaul and community Wi-Fi hotspot solutions. The venture will combine the companies’ more than 65 Gbps of Ka-band satellite capacity on Hughes 65 West, Hughes 63 West and Al-Yah 3 high-throughput satellites (HTS), reaching more than 95 per cent of Brazil’s population. It also includes Hughes and Yahsat’s three gateways in Brazil. In addition to the combined existing capacity, the new entity will also leverage the capacity on Hughes next-generation JUPITER 3 Ultra High Density Satellite (UHDS), designated EchoStar XXIV, planned for launch in 2021.

In 2018, Yahsat and Hughes launched a joint venture to provide satellite broadband services to the Middle East, Africa and southwest Asia markets.

“The formation of the new joint venture with Hughes in Brazil will strengthen the nation’s digital landscape and bring with it a host of lasting benefits for communities and businesses across Brazil,” said Masood M. Sharif Mahmood, Yahsat’s Chief Executive Officer. “Our partnership with Hughes supports Yahsat’s mission to enable social and economic development by empowering communities in remote regions with high-performance broadband connectivity. We now look forward to combining our efforts to unlock the massive potential of the largest and most exciting economy in Latin America.”

Pradman Kaul, president of Hughes, added: “Yahsat is the logical partner for Hughes in Brazil as we continue to expand our services and meet growing demand across consumer, enterprise and carrier markets. Brazilians throughout the country will benefit from the capacity, scale and operational synergies of our combined entity as we connect the unconnected and enable businesses and communities to thrive.”

Completion of the transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals and closing conditions, and is expected to occur later this year.

Hughes will exhibit at SATELLITE 2019 on May 6-9 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC, showcasing how consumers, businesses, governments and communities around the world benefit from the connected experiences enabled by Hughes technologies and services, today…and tomorrow. See Hughes executives at SATELLITE 2019 for unique perspective on connecting people, enterprises and things – including GEO HTS and LEO systems; community Wi-Fi and cellular backhaul solutions; M2M, AI and IoT networks; aero and maritime connectivity; MilSatCom and more.

It may be noted that Yahsat is a leading global satellite operator, providing multipurpose satellite solutions for broadband, broadcast and government communications use across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Central and South West Asia. Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and wholly owned by Mubadala Investment Company, the investment vehicle of the Government of Abu Dhabi. Yahsat is the first company in the Middle East and Africa to offer Ka-band services including YahClick, Yahsat Government Solutions, YahLink and Yahlive via its Al Yah 1 and Al Yah 2 satellites.

Wit h the launch of Al Yah 3 satellite, Yahsat’s commercial Ka-band coverage has extended to 20 additional markets, reaching 60 per cent of Africa’s population and over 95% of Brazil’s population.

Yahsat recently acquired a majority and controlling stake in Thuraya, UAE’s first home-grown mobile satellite services operator. The acquisition has enabled Yahsat to provide a broad range of Fixed and Mobile Satellite Services to over 160 countries.

Hughes Network Systems is the global leader in broadband satellite technology and services for home and office. Its flagship high-speed satellite Internet service is HughesNet®, the world’s largest satellite network with over 1.3 million

residential and business customers across the Americas. For large enterprises and governments, the company’s HughesON managed network services provide complete connectivity solutions employing an optimised mix of satellite and terrestrial technologies. The JUPITER System is the world’s most widely deployed High-Throughput Satellite (HTS) platform, operating on more than 20 satellites by leading service providers, delivering a wide range of broadband enterprise, mobility and cellular backhaul applications. To date, Hughes has shipped more than 7 million terminals of all types to customers in over 100 countries, representing approximately 50 per cent market share, and its technology is powering broadband services to aircraft around the world.

Headquartered outside Washington, D.C., in Germantown, Maryland, USA, Hughes operates sales and support offices worldwide, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar

Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), a premier global provider of satellite operations.