EchoStar Corp agreed to buy Hughes Communications Inc for about $1.33 billion, excluding debt, as the digital set-top box maker looks to beef up its broadband satellite services offerings. Under the terms of the deal, Hughes' shareholders will get $60.70 per share, a 31 percent premium over the stock's Jan. 19 close, a day before Reuters exclusively reported that Hughes had hired bankers for a sale. EchoStar, co-founded by Dish Network CEO and billionaire Charlie Ergen, will pay $2 billion for the acquisition including debt.
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