Bharti

Bharti backed OneWeb launches 36 satellites to bring in-orbit constellation to 394 satellites

• OneWeb is launching 36 satellites to bring its LEO satellite fleet to 60 percent deployed that will deliver high-speed, low-latency global connectivity
• OneWeb ends the year with 9 launches since December 2020, and several partnerships and agreements signed

London, 27 December 2021: Bharti backed OneWeb, the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communications company, is launching 36 more satellites by Arianespace from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. This latest launch, and the 9th since December 2020, will bring OneWeb’s in-orbit constellation to 394 satellites. This will represent 60 percent of OneWeb’s planned 648 LEO satellite fleet that will deliver high-speed, low-latency global connectivity.

Sunil Bharti Mittal, OneWeb Executive Chairman, said: “With this launch, OneWeb will have sixty percent of its global satellite fleet in space. It is an extraordinary achievement for a company that was reborn just a year a significant step towards our promise to deliver digital transformation on a global scale through our robust, secure ago, and resilient satellite broadband network.”

Lift-off which occurred at 13.10 PM BST on 27 December, 2021, caps off a successful 2021 in which OneWeb gained significant momentum across the board. With strong shareholder support, the business is now fully-funded with $2.7bn USD raised since November 2020 and no debt issuance. In addition, OneWeb continues to see growing demand for its services. In the past month, OneWeb has signed distribution partner agreements with Airbus to provide LEO services for military and governmental use in Europe as well announcing a new Canadian-headquartered distribution partner, Network Innovations and Vocus to expand enterprise connectivity in Australia.

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. Additionally, OneWeb acquired TrustComm in 2021, now OneWeb Technologies, which is focused on meeting the complex needs of government customers.

OneWeb will enter the new year in a position of strength, as it plans to launch global service by the end of 2022 and as demand continues from telecommunications providers, aviation and maritime markets, ISPs, and governments worldwide for its low-latency, high-speed connectivity services to provide businesses and consumers.

Webcast playback

Launch highlights available
View on OneWeb Youtube

Launch Imagery
OneWeb Launch 12 Media Kit

Launch Partner
Arianespace and Starsem

Launch Facility
Baikonur Cosmodrome

About OneWeb OneWeb is a global communications network powered from space, headquartered in London, enabling connectivity for governments, businesses, and communities. It is implementing a constellation of Low Earth Orbit satellites with a network of global gateway stations and a range of user terminals to provide an affordable, fast, high-bandwidth and low-latency communications service, connected to the IoT future and a pathway to 5G for everyone, everywhere. Find out more at http://www.oneweb.world