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Gaithersburg company unveils low-earth orbit commercial aviation antenna at expo

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Gaithersburg company unveils low-earth orbit commercial aviation antenna at expo

Hughes Network Systems LLC in Gaithersburg

Hughes Network Systems LLC is based in Gaithersburg. (File photo)

Gaithersburg company unveils low-earth orbit commercial aviation antenna at expo

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Hughes Network Systems LLC, an EchoStar Company, unveiled its low-earth orbit electronically steerable antenna for in-flight entertainment and connectivity at the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg, Germany.

The technology from the Gaithersburg-based company will provide enterprise-grade, low latency, high-speed connectivity for global commercial aviation.

The antenna is only a fraction of the size and weight of traditional IFEC SATCOM antennas. It leverages the core technology used in adjacent verticals such as business aviation and enterprise connectivity and is built at the Hughes manufacturing facility in Germantown.

The antenna builds on decades of experience with LEO systems and Hughes understanding of the Eutelsat OneWeb system. The first aviation variants are shipping in the fourth quarter of 2024, with the core technology already in operation.

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