Sharyn B. Nerenberg, Senior Director – Hughes
How is your business currently dealing with the impact of COVID-19? Is your business operational through “work-from-home” or other hybrid policies?
Teleworking enables Hughes day-to-day operations to continue mostly unchanged around the world. As a provider of an essential service, connectivity, we have a select number of essential personnel who are present at facilities or in the field, and we have implemented protocols for their protection. We are following CDC and WHO guidelines as well as national and local regulations for all our employees and those contracted on our behalf.
We connect millions of homes, providing our subscribers with links to critical information – from precautions to help curb the spread of COVID-19 to access to telehealth resources to dissemination of government regulations such as shelter-in-place orders. For our customers, HughesNet has become the lifeline that enables teleworking and the home learning that many students now need to continue their educations. Our networks are also helping businesses stay in business – whether that means conducting business online instead of in-person, enabling customer support, managing finances and payroll, and using other cloud-based applications.
How do “work-from-home/hybrid” policies affect your business in terms of productivity? How long in the future can your business continue to be operational through these policies?
Thanks to telework, the day-to-day running of our company continues largely unchanged. We continue to stay focused on providing our customers the connectivity they need and responding to the critical requests for services that have arisen from the pandemic.
How has the supply chain behind your business been affected?
We are in regular contact with our suppliers around the world and continue to evaluate the potential impact of supply changes on our manufacturing timelines. We are working with customers on a case-by-case basis to address any supply issue that could impact their network.
How long do you think will the impact from COVID continue to last?
It is impossible to predict, but one thing is clear form this pandemic: connectivity is essential for people and businesses everywhere. It is critical to facilitating the spread of vital information, enabling online education and work, accessing entertainment and social networking to maintain human connection and more. For communities outside the reach of wireline connectivity, satellite is their lifeline to these crucial resources – not just in times of crisis, but every day.
Do you think it is still advisable for businesses to continue to invest in innovation related projects?
For nearly 50 years, Hughes has been a technology leader with innovation at the heart of everything we do. Challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic underscore the need for continuous innovation, and we at Hughes are committed to continuously evolving technology solutions that connect people, enterprises and things.
What would you be your advice to your customers and vendors dealing with COVID-19?
Our first piece of advice is to prioritize the health and well-being of your employees – your company’s most precious resource. The second is to renew your commitment and focus on your mission. Undoubtedly, there will be daily challenges – some anticipated, others not. But don’t let those hurdles deter you from your core commitment. At Hughes, we are about connecting people, enterprises and things, and the importance of that mission has perhaps never been more evident.
