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Agristar Expands High-Speed Satellite Service Nationwide
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CHICAGO, September
24, 2003 – Agristar Global Networks today announced the nationwide
expansion of its high-speed Internet connectivity service for rural
America, including the launch of an information service center for
each subscriber. Agristar’s expansion follows the successful
completion of an extensive 12-month field test involving more than
400 farms, ranches and agribusinesses in 38 agricultural states.
In addition to its always-on, two-way broadband connectivity, Agristar’s
new information service center program now provides each subscriber
with a personalized site that delivers detailed farm market information
(which includes10-minute delayed commodity quotes and an extensive
library of historical charts), animated weather forecasts and daily
ag news updates in both text and audio formats. our subscribers
also now receive daily audio reports on a variety of agribusiness
topics from Orion Samuelson, one of the leading voices in farm communications.
Various types of premium information products, including multimedia
seminars and other electronic business services, also will be available
to our subscribers in the near future.
“What is unique about the Agristar Network is not just high-speed
connectivity, but also its focus on delivering information and services
that producers and agribusinesses must have to profitably compete
in today’s global agriculture,” said Agristar Chairman Cliff
Ganschow. “In conjunction with some of the industry’s best
information and service providers, Agristar delivers what they need
to stay competitive in an era of biotechnology, value-add commodity
marketing and other profit opportunities impacting agriculture in
ways no one could imagine even a few years ago.”
Agristar’s market rollout announcement was made at the 2003 Farm
Progress Show, the industry’s largest outdoor exhibition, held
near the small central Illinois town of Henning. “This
year’s 50th Anniversary of the show was the ideal setting for
announcing Agristar’s program,” Ganschow said, “because
it showcases the amazing strides made in agricultural technology over
the past half century. These changes are especially dramatic in farm
communications, where in 5 decades we’ve gone from rural mail
carriers placing important information in roadside mailboxes once
a day to high-speed, around-the-clock Internet delivery from satellites
22,000 miles above the Earth.” Agristar’s technology
partner in establishing its nationwide network is Hughes Network Systems,
the world’s largest provider of satellite services.
Additional details about Agristar, including pricing, local dealer/installers
and other information is available at www.agristar.com or by calling
1-888-777-0440.
About Agristar Global Networks
Agristar Global Networks, Ltd. is a satellite-based communications
company established to bridge the large connectivity gap between the
world’s commercial farm and ranch operators and their primary
trade partners throughout the global food and fiber chain. Agristar
joined forces with Hughes Network Systems to develop Agristar Powered
by DIRECWAY to integrate leading commercial farms and ranches, agribusinesses
and food companies into a single two-way, high-speed independent satellite
network system. Agristar Global Networks has a 50-year history through its forerunner
entities of developing pioneering communications and business advisory
programs for the agricultural industry. These include the Top Farmers
of America Association in the 1960’s, the first organization
to provide business services for leading farm operations; Farm Futures
in the 1970’s, the industry’s first risk management publication;
AgriData Resources in the 1980’s, the first national computer
network linking top farms; and American Land Resources in the 1990’s,
the first investment banking entity to utilize national farmland databases
to assemble investment-grade agricultural land funds. Agristar Global Networks is
headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with its national operations center
located in St. Paul, Minnesota. For more information on Agristar Global
Networks, please visit www.agristar.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 ordered or shipped to customers in
85 countries. HNS pioneered the development of high-speed satellite
Internet access services, which it markets globally under the DIRECWAY®
brand – the world's leading broadband by satellite service for
consumer, small business and enterprise markets. In addition, HNS
is a leading manufacturer of DIRECTV® satellite television receivers,
having shipped more than 10 million systems to date. Headquartered
in Germantown, Maryland, HNS maintains sales and support offices worldwide.
The earnings of HUGHES, a unit of General Motors Corp., 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.
Media Contact
Warren E. Clark
847-836-5100
warren.clark@ccimarketing.com
Agristar Contact
Kip Pendleton
President
kip.pendleton@agristar.com
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