As the world continues to cope and battle with COVID-19, the Internet has become a lifeline for billions of people to work, learn, access critical information, and stay connected with friends and family. According to United Nations estimates, only 53.6% of the global population has Internet access. Some reports indicate that nearly 42 million Americans still lack broadband internet in rural areas. As a result of the pandemic, countries worldwide are compelled to reckon with the repercussions of a digital divide within their borders, and many are accelerating efforts to connect the unconnected. However, the digital divide is a complicated issue, and it is essential to distinguish the lack of land-based connectivity from there being no internet connectivity available at all. With growing innovations and a lot of buzz around space recently, satellite technology prevails as the only fast, affordable, and sustainable solution that can address the glaring connectivity deficit the pandemic has illuminated.

Mark Wymer from Hughes Network Systems joins me on the podcast to talk about the technologies that are helping to connect the unconnected worldwide (e.g., cellular backhaul, community wi-fi). We also discuss the evolving/emerging satellite technologies that help create a ubiquitous network, including how 5G, LEO, MEO, and GEO satellites will work together to achieve multi-path connectivity.

Hughes Network Systems is the global leader in broadband satellite technology and services for home and office. Its flagship high-speed satellite Internet service is HughesNet®, the world's largest satellite network with over 1.5 million residential and business customers across the Americas.

For large enterprises and governments, the company's HughesON™ managed network services provide complete connectivity solutions employing an optimized mix of satellite and terrestrial technologies.

The JUPITER™ System is the world's most widely deployed High-Throughput Satellite (HTS) platform, operating on more than 40 satellites by leading service providers, delivering a wide range of broadband enterprise, mobility, and cellular backhaul applications.

To date, Hughes has shipped more than 7 million terminals of all types to customers in over 100 countries, representing approximately 50 percent market share. Its technology is powering broadband services to aircraft around the world.