Satellite Manufacturer Opens 5G Incubation Center in Maryland

Hughes Network Systems, a subsidiary of satellite company EchoStar, has opened a new 5G incubation and manufacturing facility in Germantown, Maryland.

The Hughes Manufacturing Facility (EXM) is pitched as bolstering U.S.-made hardware, focusing on satellite connectivity infrastructure, including the Hughes satellite modem and Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite terminal. 

The new site will use robotics to help manufacture satellite modems and terminals, and will serve as a testing ground for 5G solutions, some of which Hughes said could be “critical to the U.S. Department of Defense.”

“As a leading satellite technology and managed service provider for government entities and defense agencies, Hughes will use the new manufacturing center to provide the U.S. Department of Defense with much-needed, secure onshore manufacturing capabilities,” according to Hughes Network. 

EXM is reportedly the first manufacturing facility on a community college campus in the U.S., located in the Pinkney Innovation Complex for Science and Technology on the Montgomery College campus. 

The site will be open to students, offering hands-on training and educational initiatives to help support the workforce of the future.

“The opening of EXM solidifies our dedication to technological innovation, engineering expertise, and fostering the next generation of industry leaders,” said Hamid Akhavan, EchoStar CEO. “The products imagined, designed, and fabricated in this building further advance our mission of connecting everyone, everywhere.”

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