Hughes to offer satellite services to R'than, K'taka firms

Hughes Communications India today said it has bagged contracts from power distribution firms in Rajasthan and Karnataka to provide satellite services that will help reduce distribution losses.

The two contracts won by Hughes, a leading satellite broadband solutions provider, are together worth about Rs 20 crore, Hughes Communication India (HCIL) Director Shivaji Chatterjee told PTI.

"There is a lot of losses during power distribution. The use of satellite services would help in reducing such losses," Chatterjee said.

Under the contract with Jaipur Vidyut Vitran Nigam (Jaipur Discom), Hughes would offer satellite services connecting 825 locations in Rajasthan.

The contract with five power discoms in Karnataka -- BESCOM, CESCOM, MESCOM, GESCOM and HESCOM -- would see the company deploying a network of about 713 satellite terminals, Hughes said in a statement.

Hughes has inked the agreement with the Rajasthan and Karnataka entities for periods of three years and five years, respectively.

The two projects are related to the government's Restructured Accelerated Power Development & Reforms Programme (R-APDRP).

"We expect eight to ten more states to utilise our satellite services (as part of efforts to reduce transmission and distribution losses). We expect to rake in revenues of Rs 80 to 100 crore from such projects in the next 12-18 months," Chatterjee said.

The government has initiated various measures to bring down transmission and distribution losses in the fast-growing power sector. Going by estimates, T&D losses amount to around 30 per cent of power sector output.

HCIL is a majority-owned subsidiary of US-based Hughes Network Systems LLC.