OneWeb is a satellite-based Internet service provider. It is owned by the British Government and is headquartered in London. The company has a total of 74 satellites in orbit and plans to have a total of 648 in orbit by the end of 2021. OneWeb plans to provide global Internet coverage by 2025.
Main Focus
OneWeb’s main focus is to provide Internet access to rural and remote areas that do not have access to terrestrial Internet infrastructure. OneWeb plans to provide Internet access to underserved communities in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Arctic. OneWeb has partnered with Airbus, Bharti Enterprises, Hughes Network Systems, Intelsat, and Qualcomm to deploy its satellite constellation and ground infrastructure. OneWeb’s backers have committed $1.2 billion in funding, and the company has raised an additional $3.4 billion in debt and equity financing.
Commercial Status
OneWeb started commercial service in December 2019 with 50 satellites. As of July 2020, OneWeb had over 1,000 customers in 45 countries. OneWeb offers two service plans: OneWeb Home for residential customers and OneWeb Enterprise for business customers. OneWeb Home offers speeds of up to 25 Mbps for $50 per month. OneWeb Enterprise offers speeds of up to 100 Mbps for $500 per month. OneWeb has ground stations in the United Kingdom, Italy, Norway, Svalbard, South Africa, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, and Puerto Rico.
British Government
The British Government is a major shareholder in OneWeb. The Government committed £500 million (US$650 million) in 2015 as part of a £2 billion (US$2.6 billion) investment round. The Government’s investment was made through the UK Space Agency. The UK Space Agency is also a member of OneWeb’s Board of Directors.
The British Government’s investment in OneWeb is part of the Government’s commitment to ensure that the UK has a leading role in the development of new space technologies. The Government sees OneWeb as a major commercial opportunity for the UK. OneWeb plans to create over 2,000 jobs in the UK, including jobs in engineering, manufacturing, and operations.
is also part of the Government’s commitment to provide universal access to high-speed Internet. OneWeb plans to provide Internet access to underserved communities in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Arctic. The Government sees OneWeb as a way to close the digital divide and to provide economic opportunities for people in developing countries.
Criticism
The Government’s involvement in OneWeb has been criticized by some. The main criticism is that the Government is taking a risk by investing in a private company. OneWeb has not yet proven that it is a commercially viable business. There is also concern that the Government is too closely involved in the management of OneWeb. The Government has denied these criticisms, saying that it is a minority shareholder and that it does not have a controlling interest in the company.
Speed
Internet speeds in the UK are among the slowest in Europe. The UK ranks 31st in the world for fixed broadband speeds and 34th for mobile broadband speeds.
For information about business broadband and internet connectivity, click here.
