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The Dinodig Project—HughesNet Satellite Broadband

Aids Dinosaur Bone Diggers

Southwestern Adventist University

Every June since 1997, Southwestern Adventist University’s

Dinodig Project has sent research teams to eastern Wyoming

to excavate dinosaur bones. The isolated quarry site has one

of the world’s densest dinosaur bone beds; the remains of as

many as 10,000 animals are buried there. The University is

conducting world class taphonomic research, which studies

the precise location of dinosaur bones, to understand how

the dinosaurs died. This research requires sending data and

photos from the remote site back to Southwestern Adventist

University daily.

But lack of connectivity is a serious problem on a remote

ranch one hour from the nearest town in the least populated

county in America. Without a reliable broadband connection,

it is virtually impossible for the Dinodig team to upload their

findings or send important photos to the University. The

diggers would otherwise have to save their research on rare

species like the newly discovered Nanotyrannus lancensis,

and wait months to categorize, analyze, and authenticate

their findings back at the University.

Waiting was not an option. Justin Woods, technical

director for the Dinodig Project, explored a number of

possible Internet services, including one-way satellite

communications, but that would only get information from

the University to them. To send information, he looked into

installing a phone line, but that solution was cost-prohibitive.

Cellular service was also eliminated as an option since

the only way to get good reception was to hike up into the

surrounding hills.

In 2003, Woods looked to the sky for a solution and found

HughesNet® high-speed satellite Internet service. Unlike

terrestrial solutions, satellite broadband does not rely on

cable or phone wires, making affordable broadband services

available to consumers and small businesses everywhere,

regardless of geography, at speeds comparable to DSL.

The compact dish needs only to have a clear view of the

southern sky.

Digging for Broadband

Global positioning satellite (GPS) technology is a tool to

record the positions of bones once they’re found. The diggers

photograph the bones, record the GPS coordinates, and

then export the data to the University’s campus computers

in Keene, Texas. A computer program then recreates how

all the bones looked in the ground. This imaging allows

scientists to better depict the shape, size, and overall look of

the dinosaur, which greatly aids in properly categorizing the

species.

“I cannot overstate how well HughesNet is working for

us, especially this season,” said Woods. He is more

satisfied than ever with his HughesNet service since his

equipment was upgraded and his service is now delivered

over the SPACEWAY® 3 satellite system, the world’s first

commercial satellite with onboard switching and routing.

“The data collected by the scientists is irreplaceable, and

the HughesNet service enables us to send daily backups to

You can follow the diggers’ progress at

dinodig.swau.edu

Unlike terrestrial solutions, satellite

broadband does not rely on cable

or phone wires, making affordable

broadband services available to

consumers and small businesses

everywhere, regardless of geography,

at speeds comparable to DSL.

Soutwestern Adventist University

11717 Exploration Lane Germantown, MD 20876 USA

www.HughesNet.com

HUGHES and HughesNet are registered trademarks of Hughes Network Systems, LLC.

©2010 Hughes Network Systems. LLC. All information is subject to change. All rights reserved.

CS 573 SEPT 10

H44135 ID

For additional information about HughesNet service, please call 1-800-780-1530

or visit our Web site at www.HughesNet.com

About Hughes

Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES) is the global leader in providing broadband satellite networks and services for

large enterprises, governments, small businesses, and consumers. HughesNet® encompasses all broadband solutions and

managed services from Hughes, bridging the best of satellite and terrestrial technologies. Its broadband satellite products are

based on global standards approved by the TIA, ETSI, and ITU standards organizations, including IPoS/DVB-S2, RSM-A, and

GMR-1. To date, Hughes has shipped more than 2.2 million systems to customers in over 100 countries. Headquartered outside

Washington, D.C., in Germantown, Maryland, USA, Hughes maintains sales and support offices worldwide. Hughes is a wholly

owned subsidiary of Hughes Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: HUGH).

“Even with 30 people using the system

at the same time, the stability and

speed of HughesNet has been great.

The satellite link is our most vital link.

It’s irreplaceable.”

the University to ensure that all our findings are properly

archived. HughesNet also gives us a way to spread the

excitement of our dig to the general public and recruit new

volunteers.”

Utilizing their HughesNet connection, the Dinodiggers post

daily video blogs on YouTube to give followers a sense of

what it’s really like to be on a dinosaur dig. The team also

strings together hundreds of images into a single panorama

that is posted to the Web in an online dinosaur museum.

“The great thing about HughesNet is that it not only keeps

us in contact with our University, but it also gives us a way to

keep in touch with the outside world, and most importantly,

our loved ones.”

Digging up the Past but Staying Connected to the

Present

Broadband satellite Internet service proved to be a good

recruitment and morale tool for the project as well. Prior to

HughesNet, when the diggers went out on a dig, they kissed

their families goodbye and spoke to them maybe once a

week, since the nearest town with Internet connectivity is

one hour away, and obtaining cell phone reception is a roll of

the dice.

“It would be much harder to recruit volunteers if they just

went into a black hole for a month,” said Woods. “But with

HughesNet, they can check email, go on Facebook, and talk

over the phone via Skype.”

Occasionally, intense weather conditions prevent work in the

quarries. When this happens, many of the participants use

the time to catch up on email and browse the Internet.

“Even with 30 people using the system at the same time,

the stability and speed of HughesNet has been great,”

added Woods. “The satellite link is our most vital link.

It’s irreplaceable.”