Is HughesNet the Same as Starlink?

HughesNet and Starlink are two different companies. HughesNet is owned by Hughes Network Systems, LLC, a subsidiary of EchoStar. HughesNet is a satellite internet service provider with about 1.4 million customers across North and South America. It is headquartered in Germantown, Maryland.

Starlink is a subsidiary of SpaceX, an aerospace company specializing in the design, construction, and launch of rockets, satellites, and space exploration vehicles. Starlink's headquarters are located in Brisbane, CA, south of Oakland, while SpaceX's main office is in Hawthorne, CA, near Los Angeles. The company also operates additional locations and launch pads throughout the U.S. As of mid-2023, Starlink serves approximately 1.5 million customers, a number expected to increase as the company launches more satellites to enhance bandwidth. Currently, Starlink provides coverage to 60 countries. This is made possible by deploying thousands of small satellites in Low-Earth-Orbit, as opposed to using a single, larger satellite in geostationary orbit, which would only cover one or two continents.