Hughes Network Systems Supplies Broadband Wireless to Largest Mobile Operator in Central Europe System Will Connect Cellular Base Stations and Wi-Fi Hot Spots for Era/PTC in Poland GERMANTOWN, Md., and WARSAW, Poland, Jan. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Hughes Network Systems, Inc. (HNS), the world's leading provider of broadband satellite and wireless access systems, announced today it has been awarded a contract with cellular operator Era/PTC (Polska Telefonia Cyfrowa) to deploy the AIReach(R) Broadband 9000 wireless access system in major cities in Poland. HNS' 26 GHz AIReach point-to-multipoint system will be used to provide wireless backhaul connections to PTC cellular base stations and Wi-Fi hot spots in Warsaw and other major cities in Poland. "The AIReach broadband wireless system is very flexible and cost-effective for our access network, since it can provide both IP/LAN and E1 connections," said Boguslaw Kulakowski, Chairman and CEO of PTC, in announcing the contract award. "It requires fewer antennas than point-to-point microwave alternatives, and thereby enables faster and lower cost provisioning of new cell sites and Wi-Fi hot spots." With more than 6 million subscribers today, PTC is the largest cellular operator in Poland and Central Europe. "We are pleased to be selected by PTC for this important cellular project. The AIReach system is a highly versatile transmission platform, supporting PTC's GSM, Wi-Fi, and UMTS networks," said Tom Hsu, senior vice president and general manager of the Broadband Carrier Networks division at HNS. "The system will allow PTC to readily migrate cell sites from today's GSM with E1 links, to UMTS with ATM interfaces, and then to 3G IP RAN with Ethernet interfaces, all using a single AB9000 radio at each cell site," according to Keary Cannon, vice president of Broadband Carrier Networks at HNS. "In addition, the system's bandwidth-on-demand capabilities make it extremely efficient for interconnecting public wireless LAN access points." The AIReach Broadband 9000 hub/base station supports multiple E1, E3 ATM, STM-1 ATM, or 10/100BaseT interfaces, while the remote terminals collocated with cellular base stations support multiple E1, 10/100BaseT and ATM ports at speeds up to 30 Mbps, configurable for both dedicated and bandwidth-on-demand traffic. About Polska Telefonia Cyfrowa Polska Telefonia Cyfrowa Sp z o.o. is the leading wireless services provider in Poland with 5.6 million subscribers, a 36.2% share of the total Polish market. Operating under its commercial name "Era," PTC is leveraging its subscriber base, experience, and established infrastructure to be a leader in the introduction of higher margin products and services in the Polish market. This move is supported by PTC's strategic shareholders, Deutsche Telecom (NYSE:DT), Vivendi Universal S.A. (NYSE:V), and Elektrim S.A. (through Elektrim Telekomunikacja Sp. z o.o.). PTC operates services using both national GSM 900 and GSM 1800 licenses. In December 2000, the Company was granted a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) license. About Hughes Network Systems Hughes Network Systems, Inc. (HNS) is the world's leading provider of broadband satellite network solutions for businesses and consumers, with more than 600,000 systems ordered or shipped to customers in 85 countries. HNS pioneered the development of high-speed satellite Internet access services, which it markets globally under the DIRECWAY(R) brand. In addition, HNS is a leading manufacturer of DIRECTV(R) satellite television receivers, having shipped more than 14 million to date. Headquartered outside Washington, D.C., in Germantown, Maryland, USA, HNS maintains sales and support offices worldwide. HNS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hughes Electronics Corporation (HUGHES). HUGHES (NYSE:HS) is 34 percent owned by Fox Entertainment Group, which is approximately 82 percent owned by News Corporation Ltd. For additional information, please visit http://www.hns.com/. HUGHES, Hughes Network Systems, AIREACH, and DIRECWAY are trademarks of Hughes Electronics Corporation. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. DATASOURCE: Hughes Network Systems, Inc. CONTACT: Polska Telefonia Cyfrowa-ERA Communication (PR) Office, +48-(22)-413-43-00, or Fax: +48-(22)-413-61-78, or ; or Judy Blake of Hughes Network Systems, Inc., +1-301-601-7330, or +1-301-428-1672, or Web site: http://www.hns.com/

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