Hughes Network Systems joins Wi-Fi Alliance.

HNS is the First Broadband Satellite Solutions Provider to Join The Industry Association in Support of the 802.11 Standard

Hughes Network Systems, Inc. (HNS), the world's leading provider of satellite broadband solutions with its DIRECWAY service, announced recently that it has joined the Wi-Fi Alliance, a nonprofit organization formed to certify interoperability of IEEE 802.11 products and to promote Wi-Fi as the global, wireless LAN standard across all market segments.

"The goals of the Wi-Fi Alliance are strategically aligned with HNS' objective of delivering interoperable Wi-Fi Internet access solutions," said Pradeep Kaul, executive vice president of HNS. "Our Wi-Fi Access utilizes the nationwide DIRECWAY system as a backbone, complementing the terrestrial coverage of both 2.5 and 3G cellular carriers and other Wi-Fi hot spot providers. We encourage inter-working of HNS-powered hot spots with those of others."

HNS' Wi-Fi Access is compliant with the IEEE 802.11b standard and is designed to deliver high-speed Internet access at public hot spots, virtually anywhere within the coverage footprint of its continent-wide DIRECWAY broadband satellite service. It is a fully managed service offering, including a comprehensive suite of back-end operational and billing applications and will initially be provided by ISPs and WISPs nationwide to leisure customers at RV parks and marinas.

"We are pleased to welcome Hughes Network Systems, a leader in broadband satellite communications, as a new member of the Wi-Fi Alliance," said Frank Hanzlik, managing director of the Wi-Fi Alliance. "As a strong supporter of interoperability and the 802.11 technology, we are confident that HNS will help our organization to achieve its goal of enhancing the user experience through product interoperability."

The Wi-Fi Alliance (formerly WECA) is a nonprofit organization formed in 1999 to certify interoperability of IEEE 802.11 products and to promote them as the global, wireless LAN standard across all market segments.

The Wi-Fi Alliance has instituted a test suite that defines how member products are tested to certify that they are interoperable with other Wi-Fi CERTIFIED products. These tests are conducted at an independent laboratory.