Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES) announced that it has received an order from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide satellite broadband services for the agency’s “RadNet” program. Under the order, Hughes will provide 50 sites with 12 months of satellite broadband service.

The RadNet system monitors radiation levels of air, drinking water, pasteurized milk and precipitation across the United States. The EPA will upgrade its existing network with the addition of Hughes satellite broadband technology during 2013.

  The Hughes solution includes its HN9000 broadband satellite terminal and a dedicated Access Gateway, supporting expansion and potential conversion into a private network. Hughes will install and deliver satellite broadband services at up to five RadNet locations each month. The Hughes HN9000 is a high-performance broadband modem designed to deliver a wide range of HughesNet broadband services to consumers, small-to- medium businesses, and government agencies in North America, utilizing the unique high-capacity SPACEWAY 3 satellite system. A variety of service plans are available with the HN9000, delivering throughputs up to 1 Mbps on the uplink, and up to 5 Mbps on the downlink.

Operating as an IP modem, the HN9000 incorporates several advanced features to increase throughput performance and maximize the user’s experience and satisfaction. Performance Enhancing Proxy (PEP) mitigates delay and increases overall throughput over satellite channels, while the unique Hughes TurboPage® feature provides HTTP acceleration for lightning-fast browser performance.

  “By providing a dedicated Access Gateway at the Hughes Network Operations Center in Germantown, MD, EPA will have improved manageability and visibility into the network about its health, and be able to operate their sites like a private network,” said Tony Bardo, assistant vice president of government solutions at Hughes. “We’re excited to begin work on this contract with our first order.”