Satellite broadband provider Hughes Network Systems, aka Hughesnet, which is part of Echostar, has begun offering service plans with speeds up to 100 Mbps using capacity from its new Jupiter 3 satellite.
That’s a big bump in speeds for Hughesnet service. Depending on how fast and consistently that “up to 100 Mbps” actually plays out for end users, it could put Hughesnet on par with Starlink service—which typically far outshines GEO-based satellite providers.
For example, Ookla said earlier this month that according to its most recent data, Hughesnet’s median download speed in the U.S. was 15.87 Mbps in Q3 2023. Meanwhile, Starlink recorded a median download speed of 64.54 Mbps in the third quarter of 2023, up from 53 Mbps in the third quarter of 2022. Ookla also noted that while Starlink’s median download speed saw a slight dip from the second quarter of 2023, its performance showed “strong increases in September, October and November.”
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Hughesnet said that its Jupiter 3 is the world’s largest commercial communications satellite with more than 300 spot beams to alleviate congestion and deliver faster service. The ground system for Jupiter 3 also has a dedicated fiber backbone, the company said, and uses artificial intelligence to reroute traffic around congestion.
Echostar, parent company of Hughes Network, is on track to combine with Dish Network; Echostar will be the surviving company. The Federal Communications Commission approved the transfer of Dish’s spectrum licenses and authorization to EchoStar earlier this month.