Research group Frost & Sullivan announced the award overnight.

Hughes invented the very small aperture terminal (VSAT), pioneered the commercialisation of the satellite industry, and has become a full communications service provider rather than a provider of merely satellite-based solutions.

Under the HughesNet brand, the company has enables its customers to maximize the benefits of multiple broadband solutions by providing both terrestrial and satellite technologies.

There is a growing trend among both small and large networks to use hybrid technologies, depending on the individual application and location. Through HughesNet, customers are able build and manage complete network through a single service provider.

“This provides Hughes with a significant advantage over more traditional satellite providers that compel customers to deal with multiple Internet service providers (ISPs) or commit to a completely satellite-based network,” said Frost & Sullivan industry analyst Tim Street.

“With increased competition between VSAT providers and terrestrial ISPs, Hughes cleverly transitioned to a full managed services provider, HughesNet.”

Hughes has organised its HughesNet enterprise and government offerings around three main services: managed network services, digital media services, and enhanced services.

HughesNet now provides consumers with services such as customised start pages, domain hosting, personalised web addresses, blogging, and advanced hosting along with broadband Internet access.

Globally, Hughes’s transition to HughesNet has allowed it to add enormous value to both existing and potential customers by helping them optimise the use of different broadband technologies.