US-based Hughes Network Systems, the leader in broadband satellite networks, has completed the installation of four broadband gateways for Abu Dhabi’s Al Yah Satellite Communications Company (Yahsat).

It has also commissioned a network control center that will enable the satellite operator to expand service throughout the Middle East and Africa.

Hughes completed the gateway and service delivery system implementation project for Yahsat clearing the way for the start of commercial service. The gateways, network control center, and service delivery system are critical components of Yahsat's YahClick satellite service.

In addition to the completion of the baseband equipment deliverables, Hughes has shipped over 10,000 VSAT terminals to YahClick service partners based in the 28 markets where it is currently being rolled out.

Now that initial deliveries are complete, Hughes begins the operations and maintenance portion of its agreement with Yahsat. In this phase Hughes will be responsible for the network operations for the ground segment which powers the YahClick service.

"Hughes has been a significant asset to us throughout the process of implementing YahClick," said Yahsat CEO Tareq Abdul Raheem Al Hosani.

"We look forward to bringing satellite broadband Internet to consumers and businesses across the Middle East, South West Asia and Africa, who have previously had limited or no access to the Internet, providing them with reliable, wide reaching and high-speed Internet connectivity."

"Realising this critical milestone is a testament to the experience and excellent teamwork of Hughes and Yahsat people—evidencing the best in vendor-customer relations," said Bahram Pourmand, executive vice president, International Division at Hughes.

"We are excited to be playing a strategic role in the delivery of YahClick service throughout the region."

Yahsat is launching YahClick throughout the Middle East, South West Asia and Africa region, where access to high-performance broadband Internet was previously severely limited.

YahClick is a next-generation, Ka-band service that will leverage the high-throughput capability of the Yahsat Y1B satellite and the Hughes HN System solution to provide broadband Internet access and other applications to large and small enterprises, government agencies, and consumers. – TradeArabia News Service