Canada NewsWire

DIRECWAY 2-Way High-Speed Internet Access by satellite to First Nations school in rural British Columbia

Ottawa, January 22, 2002

OTTAWA, Jan. 29 /CNW/ - C-COM Satellite Systems, Inc. (CDNX: CMI) has connected another aboriginal school in rural BC to their 2-Way High-Speed Internet Access Service. Head of the Lake School, located in Skatin First Nation (Skookumchuck), 200Km North East from Vancouver is now able to offer students (from Kindergarden to Grade nine) and teachers, High-Speed Access to the Internet.


Since there are no telephone lines available in this isolated location, Head of the Lake School must rely on alternative solutions to land-based services for Internet access. Prior to purchasing the C-COM 2-Way High-Speed Internet Access Service, Head of the Lake School was using an alternate satellite based Internet service, fully subsidized by Industry Canada. The school has replaced this service with C-COM's 2-Way solution, based on increased performance, networking capabilities and higher reliability.


Classrooms have networked 10 computers to ease file and information sharing. C-COM's technology makes it possible to connect the Band Office to the Internet (for the first time) making it more accessible to the community outside of school hours.


 "The Head of the Lake School is another successful school installation completed by C-COM in one of the most isolated areas of Canada. We expect to add many of the SchoolNet schools to our service, enabling native and other remotely located schools to benefit from the availability of High-Speed Internet Access," said Leslie Klein, President and CEO of C-COM Satellite Systems Inc.


About DIRECWAY

DIRECWAY is the world's leading broadband by satellite service for consumer, small business and enterprise markets. Consumers anywhere in the continental U.S. can get DIRECWAY high-speed Internet service from major providers including EarthLink, AOL, Pegasus, NRTC and DIRECTV. Enterprises have access to a wide variety of value-added solutions, all on a single platform, and all backed by comprehensive support from HNS, to give companies the edge they need in today's market. To learn more about DIRECWAY, please visit www.direcway.com.

About C-COM Satellite Systems, Inc.

C-COM Satellite Systems, Inc. is a leader in development and deployment of satellite-based technology that allows the delivery of high-speed Internet services to fixed (DIRECWAY(TM)) and mobile (iNetVu(TM)) users. The company's satellite-based systems deliver high-quality, cost-effective solutions for fixed, mobile and transportable applications throughout Canada, the United States and the Caribbean. More information is available at: www.c-comsat.com

About Hughes Network Systems

Hughes Network Systems, Inc. (HNS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Hughes Electronics Corporation (HUGHES), is the world's leading provider of broadband satellite network solutions for businesses and consumers, with more than 500,000 systems installed in 85 countries. HNS pioneered the development of high-speed satellite Internet access services, which it markets globally under the DirecPC® and DIRECWAY® brands, and is a major supplier of mobile satellite networks, including GSM-enabled portable handsets and Internet devices. For terrestrial access, it offers the comprehensive AIReach® family of broadband wireless, point-to-multipoint products. In addition, HNS is a leading manufacturer of DIRECTV® satellite television receivers, having shipped over 8 million systems to date.

Headquartered outside Washington, D.C. in Germantown, Maryland, USA, HNS maintains sales and support offices worldwide. The earnings of HUGHES, a unit of General Motors Corporation, are used to calculate the earnings attributable to the General Motors Class H common stock (NYSE: GMH). To learn more about HNS, please visit www.hns.com.