WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Aug. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Row 44 Inc., a provider of satellite-based in-flight Wi-Fi for commercial aircraft, received a permanent operating license from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

This license, along with the license already granted to Row 44 in Canada and right to operate agreement in Mexico, allows the company to provide uninterrupted airborne Internet service throughout the North American continent. Already holding dozens of licenses for operations throughout the world, Row 44 is well on its way to providing global coverage for in-flight broadband.

"Today's announcement of the FCC's ruling signals a major victory for Row 44 and our airline customers in our vision of bringing affordable broadband to the skies," said John Guidon, CEO. "Ours is the first solution offering true broadband to airline passengers, both domestically and overseas, delivering an experience comparable to the high Internet speeds they enjoy at home and work. No longer will an airline be forced to accept an unattractive compromise between the performance it can offer and the service price it must charge. Achieving this critical regulatory milestone took us longer than we'd anticipated, but we believe our North American airline partners and their passengers will find this in-flight service well worth the wait."

While North American regulators do not currently permit in-flight mobile phone calls or SMS text messaging, the Row 44 system will support these services. The company intends to offer these services to their airline customers throughout the world, wherever such activities are permitted and requested by airlines.

About Row 44

Founded in 2004, Row 44 Inc. is the world's leading broadband Mobile Service Provider to commercial aviation. The company's Wi-Fi hotspots in the sky offer the fastest broadband speeds to the plane. Row 44's broadband solution is supported by the global infrastructure of Hughes, which has shipped more than 1.9 million broadband satellite terminals to customers in over 100 countries.

About Hughes

Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES) is the global leader in providing broadband satellite networks and services for large enterprises, governments, small businesses, and consumers. HughesNet((R)) encompasses all broadband solutions and managed services from Hughes, bridging the best of satellite and terrestrial technologies. Its broadband satellite products are based on global standards approved by the TIA, ETSI and ITU standards organizations, including IPoS/DVB-S2, RSM-A, and GMR-1. To date, Hughes has shipped more than 1.9 million systems to customers in over 100 countries.

Headquartered outside Washington, D.C., in Germantown, Maryland, USA, Hughes maintains sales and support offices worldwide. Hughes is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hughes Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq: HUGH). For additional information, please visit www.hughes.com.