Elbit Systems Receives $33M in Settlement With Hughes 

Headquarters of Elbit Systems’ American subsidiary. Photo: Elbit Systems.

Elbit Systems has received $33 million in payment as full and final settlement under a settlement agreement with Hughes Network Systems, relating to litigation in the U.S. Federal Courts for infringement of an Elbit patent for high-speed satellite communications. Elbit is an Israel-based international defense electronics company. 

In June of this year, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C., affirmed a 2017 judgement by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, that Hughes had infringed on an Elbit patent relating to high-speed satellite communications. Elbit was awarded approximately $30 million in damages. 

In 2017, Via Satellite reported that the patent in question centers around a reverse or return link for a satcom system. The return link in combination with a forward link forms a complete two-way communication system via satellite. The link comprises two communications schemes: one that uses a random access method based on a Non-Synchronous Frequency Code Division Multiple Access Technique (NS/FH/CDMA), and the other that uses a channel assignment method based on a frequency division multiple access (FDMA) technique. According to Elbit, the return link provides an alternative solution to existing return links which rely on telephone lines. Thus, the technology is suitable for rural areas where ground-based telephone lines have not been installed, providing access to internet so businesses can take advantage of applications such as video conferencing, collaboration software and document delivery.