The whole world is dependent on the internet today. A whole lot of businesses could stay afloat because of the internet during the current pandemic. This pandemic has highlighted the need for the internet like nothing else in the world. This propelled the communications network companies to ramp up their operations and make use of this opportunity. One such company which taking advantage of this opportunity is OneWeb. It is a global communications network powered by low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. The London headquartered company enables high-speed, low latency connectivity for governments, businesses, and communities everywhere around the world.
38 satellites launched by OneWeb
OneWeb, which is backed by Bharti Group, on Monday confirmed the launch of 34 satellites by Arianespace from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.
On 21 August the satellites were launched. The satellites separated from the rocket and were dispensed in nine batches over 3 hours 45 minutes.
This has brought OneWeb’s total in-orbit constellation to 288 satellites. These will bolster OneWeb’s vision of a 648 LEO satellite fleet that will deliver high-speed, low-latency global connectivity.
“The launch follows the successful completion of OneWeb’s ‘Five to 50’ mission and highlights the momentum of the business as it prepares to both introduce commercial service and focus on scaling to global service,” the company said in a statement.
Ambitious plans for the future
Neil Masterson, the OneWeb CEO, asserted that “Following the successful completion of our ‘Five to 50’ mission, we are building on our success and embarking on an ambitious back-to-back launch program until the end of 2021. We are seeing huge demand for our services from global customers, and we are incredibly excited about scaling our network ahead of its commercial launch.”
OneWeb is on track to deliver global service in 2022. The company is experiencing demand from telecommunications providers, ISPs, and governments worldwide owing to its low-latency, high-speed connectivity services to the hardest-to-reach places.
The company also said, “The business is growing from a position of strength, establishing itself as a leader in LEO broadband connectivity, and recently announced $300 million in further funding from Hanwha. OneWeb is fully funded to deliver its constellation and take its satellites into commercial service.”
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