Hughes Network Systems has completed a 30-day program of rigorous over-the-air (OTA) testing of the broadband IP capabilities of DirecTV's Spaceway 2 satellite.
The verification of hardware and software systems was in preparation for the launch of Spaceway 3, scheduled for early 2007, with commercial service planned later in the year.
The Hughes-owned Spaceway 3 will be used to deliver a wide range of HughesNet broadband IP services to enterprise, government, and consumer/small business customers.
The Spaceway system was designed and developed by Hughes as a next- generation, Ka-band broadband satellite system, claiming to be the first in the world to employ on-board traffic switching and routing capability.
Combined with other advances in satellite technology, such as 10 Gbps overall capacity, fast packet switching, and spot beam forming, Hughes said the Spaceway 3 satellite would provide new bandwidth-on-demand satellite services, with true peer-to- peer, single-hop networking of high-performance ground terminals.