OneWeb launches 36 new satellites, deploys 60 pc of planned fleet

Bharti-backed OneWeb, the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communications company, has launched another batch of 36 satellites by Arianespace from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.




The latest launch has boosted OneWeb’s growing megaconstellation of internet satellites bring the total count to 394. This represents 60 per cent of OneWeb’s planned 648 LEO satellite fleet that will deliver high-speed, low-latency global connectivity.

“With this launch, OneWeb will have 60% of its global satellite fleet in space…it is an extraordinary achievement and a significant step towards our promise to deliver digital transformation on a global scale through our robust, secure and resilient satellite broadband network,” Bharti Enterprises chairman Sunil Mittal, who is also OneWeb’s executive chairman said in a media statement.

Earlier this month, Airbus and OneWeb signed a distribution partner agreement to provide low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communication services for military and governmental use in Europe. As per the deal, Airbus will utilise the OneWeb constellation to offer new communication services to select European and UK armed forces, and civil protection and security forces, from the end of 2021.

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These agreements, along with other recent strategic partnership announcements with AT&T, Hughes Network Systems, BT, and Leonardo DRS will further OneWeb towards its goal of bringing improved digital communication services to some of the hardest to reach parts of the world, the company said.

OneWeb acquired TrustComm in 2020, which is focused on meeting the complex needs of government customers. Further, OneWeb plans to launch global service by the end of 2022.