Hughes Network Systems, a division of EchoStar, has opened a manufacturing facility and private 5G incubation center in Germantown, Maryland, designed to build low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite terminals and satellite modems.
Called the Hughes Manufacturing Facility (EXM), the facility will house 400 engineers, technicians and manufacturing staff and will use robotics to assist in the manufacturing of these modems and terminals. The EXM facility will serve as a testing ground for private 5G solutions for enterprise application as well as secure 5G networking applications for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).
The EXM is in the Pinkney Innovation Complex for Science and Technology on the Montogomery College campus. In addition to hardware manufacturing, the center will offer hands-on training and educational initiatives for students to help with the developing a pipeline of local talent.
The campus is a 140,000 sq-ft space and is the first such manufacturing facility located on a community college campus in the U.S., EchoStar said.
