Note: Many topics at this site are reduced versions of the text in "The Encyclopedia of Networking and Telecommunications." Search results will not be as extensive as a search of the book's CD-ROM.

DBS (direct broadcast satellite) and DSS (Digital Satellite System) are often used interchangeably; but DBS is a generic name for broadcast satellite systems that have been around since the early 1970s, while DSS is a trademark name owned by Hughes Corporation. Most DBS systems now provide digital TV broadcasting directly to users who are equipped with satellite dish equipment. Companies involved in DBS include EchoStar, Gilat Satellite Networks, DirecTV (Hughes), News Corporation, Primestar, and USSB (United States Satellite Broadcasting).