National 4-H Council and HughesNet Announce New 2015 Program to Spark Youth Interest in Science, Technology Careers

HEVY CHASE, Md., Jan. 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Building on momentum generated in 2014, National 4-H Council and HughesNet, the nation's #1 satellite Internet service from Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES), are announcing today a new 2015 program supporting their commitment to introduce more American youth to hands-on, community-based science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. The partnership brings STEM learning experiences to youth across the country, including small communities where resources for interactive STEMlearning can be limited. Hughes Network Systems, LLC Logo "Innovation Incubator" Science Experiences are a new addition to the partnership under which thousands of youth across the nation will design innovative science solutions to solve real community challenges.States will compete to receive "Innovation Incubator" Science Sponsorships,and ultimately twoyoung innovatorswill be selected to receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the flagship 4-H National Youth Science Day event in Washington, D.C., where they will participate in the world's largest youth-led science experiment. Also new this year, National 4-H Council and HughesNet are launching the 4-H GROWN Alumni Campaign. The interactive campaign invites the estimated 25 million 4-H alumni across the U.S. to help direct sponsorship funding to their state by checking in at http://www.satellitecounty.com , tagging friends and casting votes to bring more science innovation experiencesto youth in their communities. A $10,000 "Innovation Incubator" Science Sponsorship will be awarded to States with the largest number of votes.Through 4-H GROWN, alumni will also re-connect with the local 4-H that helped them succeed and with a network of millions of 4-Hers around the world. "In our first year of partnership, National 4-H Council and HughesNet helped thousands of young people experience the excitement of STEM firsthand," said Jennifer Sirangelo, president and CEO, National 4-H Council. "I am thrilled with our new 2015 program that will engage even more young people and expand our reach to involve 4-H alumni in our mission to show that STEM can be rewarding and fun." "We consider our partnership with 4-H to be a tremendous success and we're excited to be helping to develop the scope of the program into 2015," said Mike Cook, senior vice president, Hughes North America Division. "Exposing thousands of children to the excitement of STEM is pricelessand we're thrilled to continue our work with 4-H to make a difference in the kids' lives." To learn more about the National 4-H Council and HughesNet partnership visit www.hughesnet.com/4h. About 4-H 4-H, the nation's largest youth development and empowerment organization, cultivates confident kids who tackle the issues that matter most in their communities right now. In the United States, 4-H programs empower six million young people through the 109 land-grant universities and Cooperative Extension in more than 3,000 local offices serving every county and parish in the country. Outside the United States, independent, country-led 4-H organizations empower one million young people in more than 50 countries. National 4-H Council is the private sector, non-profit partner of the Cooperative Extension System and 4-H National Headquarters located at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Learn more about 4-H atwww.4-H.org, find us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/4-Hand on Twitter at https://twitter.com/4H. About Hughes Network Systems Hughes Network Systems, LLC (Hughes) is the world's leading provider of satellite broadband for home and office, delivering innovative network technologies, managed services, and solutions for enterprises and governments globally. HughesNet is the #1 high-speed satellite Internet service in the marketplace, with offerings to suit every budget. To date, Hughes has shipped more than 4 million systems to customers in over 100 countries, representing approximately 50 percent market share. Its products employ global standards approved by the TIA, ETSI and ITU organizations, including IPoS/DVB-S2, RSM-A, and GMR-1. Headquartered outside Washington, D.C., in Germantown, Maryland, USA, Hughes operates sales and support offices worldwide, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), a premier global provider of satellite operations and digital TV solutions. For additional information about Hughes, please visit www.hughes.com.

Legislation To Broaden Satellite Internet

The first year of Barack Obama’s presidency has seen various efforts to undo and refocus much of the legislation from the Bush administration as well as make crucial changes to domestic and foreign affairs. The healthcare battle has been ongoing since the election, deeply divided between Democrats and Republicans and still largely unresolved. Education has also taken a platform with attempts to change the “no child left behind”. Policies of the Bush era. And a new debate has begun the Federal Communication Commission over proposed government funding that'll broaden national Internet access. The F.C.C. already proposed a plan to Congress that reflects the goal of making high speed internet access like satellite broadband the country’s primary communication network. This is obviously met with resistance from the telecommunication industry, namely large TV and telephone corporations. The new legislation would presumably redirect funding that was previously funneled into telecommunications and put it into expanding satellite internet access and other high-speed broadband providers. Further questions have been raised, however, regarding how much control the F.C.C. has over various Internet providers, which tend to form what are essentially online monopolies and can regulate prices and speed. But the Federal Communication Commission claims that it can effectively bring high-speed internet access to rural areas and places where it was previously unavailable. This is perhaps a necessary improvement, as statistics show that nearly one third of American households don't have access to high-speed Internet such as satellite internet broadband. The current trend throughout the world proves that Internet is by far the most rapidly growing and developing communication medium. It seems that its capabilities have already surpassed those of television and telephones. Bringing a larger part of the American population this kind of communication potential is no doubt a priority. Individuals living in rural areas shouldn't be at any kind of disadvantage in terms of communication access or information acquisition and exchange because the current broadband status doesn't cover their specific zone. Pouring funding into these kinds of issues should benefit the country as a whole to provide the current capabilities of technology. With increased broadband speed, the possibilities of online navigation are enhanced, able to process a much higher volume of input at much quicker speed. It should also be an economic stimulant, as the growth of this industry should equate to a growth in the corresponding job market, which holds great potential. The ensuing debate may get heated, between the F.C.C. on one end and the big businesses of the telecommunication industries on the other. As always, it'll be difficult to sift out the various interests of large corporations that pervade the political system and make it difficult to get anything done in a reasonable amount of time. But the explosive growth worldwide of the Internet as the primary communication tool bolsters the efforts to broaden national access and sets the stage for a shift in telecommunications. With legislation changes, Hughes Net California may have even larger coverage than before. As high-speed internet grows, HughesNet Arizona reaches more and more homes

Source: DIRECTV