HughesNet to Launch 25 Mbps Satellite Internet Access Service

The latest Federal Communications Commission report on broadband access suggests the potential for services such as HughesNet, which soon will be able to deliver 25 Mbps downstream speeds across the continental United States. Today, HughesNet can deliver up to 15 Mbps speeds.

Some 10 percent of all U.S. residents (34 million people) lack access to 25 Mbps/3 Mbps service. If one assumes an average of 2.5 persons per household, that suggests an addressable market of perhaps 13.6 million households.  

According to the FCC, up to 23 million of those people live in rural area. So 68 percent of the satellite broadband opportunity exists in rural areas, or about 9.2 million households.

Of course, internet speeds keep climbing, in the United States and globally, so neither HughesNet nor any other internet service provider can rest content with any present offer.

The global average connection speed increased 12 percent, quarter-over-quarter to 7 Mbps, a 26 percent increase, according to Akamai.

Year-over-year, on a global basis, the average connection speed increased 26 percent.

Year-over-year, the global 25 Mbps broadband adoption rate increased by 45 percent. Eight of the top ten countries/regions enjoyed gains, ranging from 34 percent in Japan to 201 percent in Singapore.

In the United States, average connection speeds were above 10 Mbps in the fourth quarter of 2016, in every state, with 34 states seeing speeds above 15 Mbps, up from 30 in the previous quarter, says Akamai.

In its report on U.S. internet access, the Federal Communications Commission found that median broadband speeds across the country increased 22 percent in the past year, from 32 Mbps to 39 Mbps. The study was based on 13 ISPs representing more than 80 percent of U.S. subscribers.