OneWeb Completes its 'Five to 50' Mission to Cover Regions North of 50 degrees Latitude including UK, Canada, Alaska and Arctic Region
PR90430
LONDON, July 2, 2021 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --
-- OneWeb confirms successful launch and contact with all 36 satellites
launched earlier today, bringing total in-orbit constellation to 254
satellites
-- High-speed connectivity to be available from the North Pole to the 50th
parallel -- includes the United Kingdom, Canada, Alaska and Arctic
Region
-- On track for full global coverage by June 2022 with a LEO constellation
of 648 satellites
OneWeb, the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communications company, today
announced the successful launch of another 36 satellites to mark the completion
of its 'Five to 50' mission. With this major milestone, the Company is ready to
deliver connectivity across the United Kingdom, Canada, Alaska, Northern
Europe, Greenland, and the Arctic Region.
Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1556284/OneWeb_Launch.jpg
Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1475016/OneWeb_Logo.jpg
The latest launch takes OneWeb's in-orbit constellation to 254 satellites, or
40% of OneWeb's planned fleet of 648 LEO satellites that will deliver
high-speed, low-latency global connectivity. OneWeb intends to make global
service available in 2022.
Service demonstrations will begin this summer in several key locations --
including Alaska and Canada -- as OneWeb prepares for commercial service in the
next six months. Offering enterprise-grade connectivity services, the Company
has already announced distribution partnerships across several industries and
businesses including with BT, ROCK Network, AST Group, PDI, Alaska
Communications and others, as OneWeb expands its global capabilities. The
Company continues to engage with telecommunications providers, ISPs, and
governments worldwide to offer its low-latency, high-speed connectivity
services and sees growing demand for new solutions to connect the hardest to
reach places.
The launch of the latest 36 satellites was conducted by Arianespace from the
Vostochny Cosmodrom. Liftoff occurred on 1 July at 13:48 BST. OneWeb's
satellites separated from the rocket and were dispensed in 9 batches over a
period of 3 hours 52 minutes with signal acquisition on all 36 satellites
confirmed.
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the Rt. Hon. Boris Johnson, MP, said:
"This latest launch of OneWeb satellites will put high-speed broadband within
reach of the whole Northern Hemisphere later this year, including improving
connectivity in the remotest parts of the UK.
"Backed by the British Government, OneWeb proves what is possible when public
and private investment come together, putting the UK at the forefront of the
latest technologies, opening up new markets, and ultimately transforming the
lives of people around the world."
Sunil Bharti Mittal, Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, Executive
Chairman of OneWeb, said: "Today's momentous milestone demonstrates that OneWeb
is now a leader in LEO broadband connectivity, serving a wide range of
stakeholders across the Northern Hemisphere. This fifth launch amid the
unprecedented global pandemic is truly remarkable and I congratulate the
management team and fellow shareholders on the success.
"Bharti's doubling of its investment earlier this week is testament to the
commitment to OneWeb's mission. We now look forward to the next chapter in
OneWeb's story, preparing the company for commercial service in the less than
six months to deliver our global connectivity solutions to communities around
the world."
The Rt. Hon. Kwasi Kwarteng, MP, Secretary of State, BEIS, added: "Today's
launch is an exciting milestone in providing some of the world's most remote
locations with fast, UK-backed broadband less than a year since British
government investment made this possible. With yet another successful mission,
the people of the UK can be proud that this country is at the heart of the
latest advances in small satellite technology.
"OneWeb's coverage across the Northern Hemisphere now puts the United Kingdom
at the forefront of the latest developments in Low Earth Orbit technology, and
we will capitalise on the company's unique position within this growing market
to build a strong domestic space industry and cement our status as a global
science and technology superpower."
Neil Masterson, OneWeb CEO, said: "This is a truly historic moment for OneWeb,
the culmination of months of positive momentum in our 'Five to 50' programme,
increased investment from our global partners and the rapid onboarding of new
customers. We are incredibly excited to start delivering high-speed,
low-latency connectivity first to the UK and the Arctic region and to see our
network scale over the coming months as we continue building to global service.
Thanks to all our incredible partners who have been with us on this journey and
are instrumental to making OneWeb's mission a success."
Webcast playback
Launch highlights available
View on OneWeb YouTube
Launch Imagery
Launch #8 Media Kit
Launch Partner
Arianespace and Glavkosmos
Launch Facility
Soyuz Launch Complex, Vostochny 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
SOURCE: OneWeb
CONTACT: OneWeb Media Enquiries, Group, Chris McLaughlin,
cmclaughlin@oneweb.net, M: + 447870 374795; UK, Europe, MENA, APAC, Tabitha
Aldrich-Smith, Taldrich-smith@oneweb.net, M: +44 7970 44029; USA, Latin
America, Canada, Katie Dowd, kdowd@oneweb.net, M: +1 202 415 4030; Finsbury
Glover Hering, Humza Vanderman, Lyle Hill, OneWeb-LON@Finsbury.com
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