LONDON – Virginia-based OneWeb launched its first six broadband satellites this week as it forges ahead with its plan to provide Internet and telecommunications services across the planet.
The initial group of Low Earth Orbit satellites officially launched on February 27 aboard a Soyuz launch vehicle from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. OneWeb said Thursday that the satellites separated from the rocket in two batches and that signal acquisition has been confirmed for all birds.
The OneWeb network will provide a unique combination of high data throughput, low latency, true global coverage to the poles, and a range of user terminals for multiple markets, reads the news release. OneWeb's satellites will communicate with Earth via the Ka and Ku spectrum bands. The Ka-band will be used for communication between the Ground Network (which connects the OneWeb system to the Internet) and the satellites; while the Ku band will be used for communication between the satellites and the user terminals that will deliver Internet connectivity to consumers.
Launching more than 30 satellites per rocket, OneWeb's monthly launch program will grow its constellation to more than 650 satellites to allow customer demos in 2020 and provide full global commercial coverage by 2021.
"Our world is increasingly connected, and we do not want to leave anyone behind”, said CEO Adrian Steckel, in the release. “Our constellation will level the playing field and connect the communities, areas, and industries that have until now been excluded from fast, reliable Internet access. What we are undertaking here is a project of ambitious scale, and I'm enormously proud of the team for getting us to this important milestone."
OneWeb added that its business model allows it to provide service indirectly through reseller partners, or directly to the end customer, in the case of airlines or vessel operators.
