Emergency Solutions H43297 HR

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White Paper

Emergency Solutions

There’s no telling when an emergency situation might
occur—or how severely mission-critical applications may be
affected. As recent natural and man-made disasters have
demonstrated, enterprises, government agencies, relief
organizations, and small businesses must sustain vital
communications, even in the event of a large-scale disaster.
Government agencies and businesses, large and small, are
in a unique position to lead the recovery following a disaster.
From first responders providing emergency relief, to local
grocery stores operating on backup generators, to pharmacies
using backup data networks to maintain operations, disasterready organizations hold the key to enabling the communities
in which they operate to withstand disaster and return to
normalcy as soon as possible.
Small businesses and government agencies can learn from the example of larger enterprises. During the aftermath of
Hurricane Katrina in 2005, for instance, Walmart used its satellite broadband network to enable local pharmacies to act as a
community resource. As a result of its preparedness, Walmart was able to quickly offer access to life-saving medicines, food,
and basic supplies.

If Disaster Strikes, Will You Be Prepared?
According to a survey of small businesses located in the Gulf Coast region, in the aftermath of Katrina, 37 percent of those
surveyed were without broadband service for more than five business days and 25 percent of those businesses reported
losses of over $25,000 due to their lack of Internet connectivity.1 Businesses, government, and the communities they serve
cannot afford this downtime.
A disaster-ready organization will be able to recover faster and suffer less financial loss. Even more importantly, a quickly
recovered organization is good for the local economy as it enables employees to return to work more quickly.
In April 2011, Weather Services International Corp. (WSI) predicted another very active season for hurricanes in 2011,
which may affect businesses and government entities in the Atlantic and Gulf Coast regions.2 The 2011 forecast calls for:
QQ 15 named tropical storms compared to an average season of 12
QQ 8 hurricanes compared to an average of 7
QQ 4 intense hurricanes of Category 3 or greater compared to an average of 3
According to researchers from John Hopkins and Texas A&M University, during the last five major hurricanes, nearly 30,000
businesses and government entities were forced to cease operations due to power outages and loss of Internet connectivity.3
During such weather events, business and government offices can expect to experience network downtime, impairing
emergency response and recovery efforts, disrupting business activities, and impacting the ability to keep mission-critical
operations running smoothly.

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Before Disaster Happens
The best time to respond to a disaster is before it happens. Every area in the country is subject to disaster—whether natural
such as a flood, hurricane, earthquake, ice storm, or landslide—or man-made such as an oil spill, civil unrest, or a terrorist
attack. Even areas that have never suffered from a disaster in the past have no sure protection from potential disaster and
devastation in the future.
With a relatively small investment of time and money now, businesses may prevent disruptions in the future. Clearly, a
disaster-ready organization will recover more quickly and suffer less financial loss than one that is unprepared. Taking
proactive steps toward preparedness contributes to the health and well-being of the local population and to an expedited
economic recovery that can re-energize the community. Equally important, organizations that recover quickly help pave the
way for employees and the greater community to return to work as soon as possible.

Tips for Staying Connected
As a result of the company’s experience in assisting businesses and government agencies with disaster recovery operations,
Hughes has compiled a list of simple steps that can help enterprises, government agencies, and small businesses stay
connected—helping to minimize losses and eliminate Internet downtime in case of disaster.
1. Maintain remote site backup generators
Maintaining electrical power is a top priority for business and government sites. Without electrical power, organizations
cannot support an Internet connection for their emergency data and voice communications. Additionally, a backup generator
is essential for supporting refrigeration, lighting, and security systems in the event of a power failure.
In hurricane-prone areas, many companies are making backup generators an essential component of their business
operations. For example, Publix, a Florida-based grocery chain with about one-third of its stores located in hurricane-prone
areas across the Gulf States, initiated a program to install generators in these stores. During previous hurricane seasons,
power outages played a major role in the losses the stores experienced. Although each store was equipped with a backup
generator, it did not provide enough power to keep the stores open for customers, and run coolers and freezers to prevent
food spoilage. As a result, in 2006 the company announced an investment of $100 million to purchase higher power 500watt generators to protect Publix stores in nearly 575 communities.
2. Protect critical data
According to the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics, more than 40 percent of all businesses that experience a disaster
never reopen and more than 25 percent of the remaining companies close within two years. These failures are due in large
part to lack of planning, which results in the loss of critical business data. Developing a disaster recovery strategy is a critical
undertaking for any organization. It is essential that businesses and government agencies evaluate which applications and
data are vital to their operations, such as point-of-sale, accounting, logistics, inventory, and services to the public.
Back-up and storage of critical information should be performed routinely and in a timely manner, using a safe, secure, and
dependable facility. Since data may be lost due to flooding or fire, consider storing data at an off-site location or centralizing
data storage at a headquarters data center. Consider the amount of time, money, and effort it would take to recover a system
whose files are destroyed by mechanical failure, a virus attack, or user error. In addition, consider the losses that would be
sustained simply because of downtime.
3. Subscribe to a resilient, alternate path, high-speed broadband service
When disaster strikes, terrestrial networks are most vulnerable to failure—dial-up, DSL, cellular, and cable can be down
for hours, days or even weeks. A satellite broadband service, on the other hand, offers an alternate communications path
enabling organizations to maintain critical applications when terrestrial networks fail. Broadband satellite services provide
network connectivity that continues to operate when terrestrial networks—including cell towers—are severely damaged.
Incorporating satellite services into emergency planning and response activities enables businesses and government agencies
to maintain uninterrupted Internet connections needed to facilitate disaster response and day-to-day operations such as
sending and receiving e-mails, processing orders, sharing information, and checking inventory.
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Hurricane Katrina, for example, aptly displayed the need for organizations to protect their mission-critical information in the
event of terrestrial network failure. Because it provides instant infrastructure wherever needed when terrestrial networks are
severely damaged, satellite communications allows organizations to continue conducting day-to-day business.
4. Have a written plan and be prepared to act
When in jeopardy of losing service for an extended period of time, put remote site managers on alert to support the
organization and its data during and after the disaster. With a solid disaster recovery plan in place for each location,
organizations will be better able to successfully weather a disaster and avoid being out of reach when communications are
needed the most.

How Hughes Can Help
As the world’s leading provider of broadband networks and services, Hughes can accommodate virtually any emergency
communications need. Its extensive portfolio of offerings includes solutions for emergency preparedness and emergency
response, ensuring rapid deployment after an emergency occurs. Hughes broadband satellite service is scalable and
deployable from across the city to across the nation.
The Hughes suite of Emergency Solutions features an Internet service plan with download speeds of up to 5 Mbps and
upload speeds of up to 1 Mbps, made possible by utilizing Hughes’ advanced SPACEWAY® 3 Ka-band satellite system.
The service plan includes comprehensive 24/7 technical support, next-business day field maintenance, and provides
organizations with the flexibility they need in an emergency, requiring only a two-month service commitment that may be
extended on a month-to-month basis, depending on need.
In addition, a range of options are available for both fixed and mobile solutions, including Inmarsat Broadband Global Area
Network (BGAN) mobile satellite solutions. Bandwidth requirements are sized as the job dictates for efficient management of
resources and budget. Moreover, Hughes operates highly secure satellite network management centers across the nation—a
true alternative infrastructure that stays up and running when terrestrial systems fail.

Emergency Preparedness
Path-diverse, highly available networking solutions serve as an insurance policy for continuity of business and government
operations, especially in crisis situations. With Hughes Emergency Solutions, organizations can ensure 24/7 network
reliability, even when terrestrial systems fail:
QQ Fully-managed, continuity service with cost-effective satellite broadband backup for true path diversity
QQ Satellite solutions to complement existing terrestrial networks, for up to 99.99% availability
QQ Emergency Internet access with nationwide reach, and vehicle-mount, on-the-move terminals and flyaway kits that set
up quickly
QQ Mobile satellite BGAN terminals for on-the-move deployment when needed
QQ Policy-based routing with automatic failure detection and switchover between primary and backup links

Rapid Emergency Response
After an emergency occurs, Hughes Emergency Solutions provide a true alternative infrastructure that stays up and running
when terrestrial systems fail.
QQ Communications restoral within 48 hours
QQ Ideal for providing temporary service while primary communications are being restored after an emergency

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QQ Internet access nationwide with a variety of affordable service plans
QQ Vehicle-mount terminals and flyaway kits with a mobile, self-pointing antenna system
QQ Integrated turnkey solutions with high-performance, onsite routers for any emergency communications need

Getting the Word Out
Businesses and government agencies nationwide are employing Hughes Emergency Solutions to protect their organizations.
For example, the Florida Emergency Management Agency (FLEMA) uses Hughes satellite technology to power an alert
system to warn citizens when potential emergencies threaten. The solution covers more than 100 state and county fixed
sites, as well as three mobile units.

An Insurance Policy through Path Diversity
The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) employs an advanced Hughes broadband satellite solution to
provide path-diverse backup communications when its terrestrial network fails. The statewide solution connects more than
100 sites, including police, health, and county emergency operations centers. Similarly, Cabela’s, the world’s largest outdoor
outfitter, employs a high-performance Hughes broadband satellite backup solution to ensure uninterrupted service at its
stores. When a remote site detects a primary connection outage, the Hughes service automatically engages and switches all
data traffic to the satellite network to keep the store up and running.
By being prepared for emergency situations, businesses and government agencies—large and small alike—can avoid costly
downtime, help secure the long-term health of their organizations, and play a major role in assisting their communities to
recover as quickly as possible if disaster should occur.

For more information about emergency communications services and preparing for disasters,
please call 1-888-712-4650 or visit www.hughes.com.

1
2
3

Hughes Network Systems, LLC. Survey of Small Businesses Affected by Hurricane Katrina
WSI Corp, April 2011
Homeland Security Newswire, March 2010

Proprietary Statement
All rights reserved. This publication and its contents are proprietary to Hughes Network Systems, LLC. No part of this publication may
be reproduced in any form or by any means without the written permission of Hughes Network Systems, LLC, 11717 Exploration Lane,
Germantown, Maryland 20876.

©2012 Hughes Network Systems. LLC, an EchoStar company. HUGHES is a registered
trademark of Hughes Network Systems, LLC. All information is subject to change. All rights reserved.
EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS
HUGHES PROPRIETARY
H43297 ID NOV 12

www.hughes.com
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11717 Exploration Lane Germantown, MD 20876 USA



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