Satellite technology will bring Wi-Fi to recreational vehicle parks and resorts across the continental United States, thanks to a solution from Hughes Networks Systems.
The solution renders terrestrial networks irrelevant with a satellite-based Wi-Fi solution. The company describes its product as an end-to-end solution from the satellite in the sky down to the access point, according to Mahesh Bhave, vice president of business development for HNS. It is the first satellite-enabled Wi-Fi technology, he claimed.
“Today, most RV travelers rely on dial-up connections or dedicated modems found in the common area of an RV park or resort for Internet access,” said HNS. “Wi-Fi access allows RV travelers to connect directly to the Internet from the comfort and convenience of their motor homes, using laptops or PDAs enabled with industry-standard Wi-Fi capabilities.”
Any user with a wireless laptop can connect to an access point, and that links to an HNS terminal that connects to the satellite via a dish. The satellite connects the HNS Hub, which opens into the Internet. All the products are provided by HNS, according to Bhave.
“We have a total-mile solution,” said Bhave, which includes transport, management and access. He said HNS is targeting about 16,000 RV parks all over the United States, and the services have already been deployed in a number of parks in Southern California, especially in the San Diego area.
He said the company arrived at the solution by upgrading its satellite-based backhaul system with access points and developing the back-end to support subscriber management, quality of service, report regeneration and network management.
“We offer installation, provisioning and network management to quality of service,” said Bhave.
HNS’ network operation center is in Washington D.C.
He lists four attributes that distinguish HNS products from what is available. First, it is an end-to-end solution. It also covers the continental United States, and the company installs and maintains the network. Finally, it complements other Wi-Fi providers.
Bhave said the HNS solution does not provide any voice feature, which means its product does not carry voice over Internet Protocol capabilities. Its solution also is not connected to cellular networks yet, although HNS is currently looking to partner with operators for roaming services, he said.
