Hughes, Comat to connect 10,000 kiosks

New Delhi, February 5, 2008: Hughes India (HUGHES) has announced the signing of a contract with Comat Technologies to supply ten thousand broadband satellite terminals together with its nationwide HughesNet satellite services and applications to be delivered at rural business centers across multiple states in India.

Comat is the premier e-governance organization in India, having more than a decade of experience working with government, public, private and multi-lateral organizations, and Hughes has been the world leader in broadband satellite networks and services for over 20 years.

Speaking about the agreement with Hughes, Comat President Sriram Raghavan stated, "Having strong experience in delivering e-governance solutions and services in partnership with various states, Comat has established a unique blend of content and delivery that has allowed the concept of a community services center (CSC) to be become a reality. Together with Hughes, the company is now gearing up to deploy these CSC's throughout India's rural regions."

Pradman Kaul, President and CEO of Hughes, added that "this agreement demonstrates our collective ability to close the so-called digital divide in rural India, combining our advanced equipment technology, HughesNet satellite broadband services, and Comat's e-governance applications. Customers everywhere will soon enjoy high-speed internet access, and a growing range of e-governance and other value-added applications such as distance learning on an affordable, pay as you go basis."

The Hughes and Comat consortium won the right to roll out the kiosks in Sikkim, Tripura and various parts of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Uttaranchal through a competitive bidding process for the Government of India's Community Services Centers.

Pranav Roach, President and CEO of Hughes India said, "Hughes and Comat have been working together through numerous initiatives to bring the benefits of broadband to people in rural and semi urban areas. Two thousand of the 10 thousand terminals have already been delivered, and we are working closely with Comat to ensure smooth deployment of the HughesNet Fusion Services at these rural centres in the five states."

About Comat

Comat, a Social Enterprise is one of the leading rural e-governance solution providers for over a decade in the emerging economies. Comat has an enviable record of deploying ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) in rural and semi-urban areas. Comat's expertise lies in understanding customer needs and defining robust solutions, which stems from its experience over the years in serving many government departments and successfully executing projects for multi-lateral agencies. Through its e-governance & rural empowerment solutions powered by public-private-partnership models, Comat enables governments and private enterprises to reach citizens with a host of services and products, under a single window. Comat is a private equity and venture capital funded profitable Company based in Bangalore, India. To know more about the Social Enterprise 'Comat', visit www.comat.com.

About Hughes Communications India Ltd

Hughes is the global leader in providing broadband satellite networks and services for large enterprises, governments, small businesses, and consumers. As per an international survey by Comsys, Hughes is the largest satellite services provider in the Asia Pacific region.

Branded under the name HughesNet, the company provides broadband solutions and managed services bridging the best of satellite and terrestrial technologies. Hughes has shipped more than 1 million systems to customers in over 100 countries.

Hughes has more than 30 years experience in designing and managing complex data networks. The company invented the VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) and has been the world market leader in providing satellite networks since 1986.

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® encompasses all broadband solutions and managed services from Hughes, bridging the best of satellite and terrestrial technologies. Hughes has shipped more than 1.2 million systems to customers in over 100 countries. Its broadband satellite products are based on global standards approved by the TIA, ETSI and ITU standards organizations, including IPoS, RSM-A and GMR-1.

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.