Eutelsat OneWeb Eyeing ISRO to Boost Worldwide Satellite Coverage

Eutelsat OneWeb is planning to use ISRO’s heavy-lift rockets (LVM3) for part of its second-generation (Gen-2) satellite constellation, aiming to deploy over 340 new low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites by 2027 to expand global coverage and resilience said a report by Business Today.

In October this year, Eutelsat Group issued a regulatory news release confirming successful launches and outlining future plans, including reliance on ISRO’s LVM3 for upcoming missions.

OneWeb began launches in 2019 and now operates ~640 satellites in orbit, forming a near-global broadband network. The original plan was for 648 satellites, manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space. The network is fully operational, but about 100 satellites from the initial fleet are due for replenishment in the coming years. Eutelsat OneWeb is preparing to deploy 340+ new satellites by 2027, creating a more advanced and flexible architecture.  

Key Highlights

• Gen-2 Expansion: Eutelsat OneWeb already operates ~640 satellites in orbit (Gen-1). The Gen-2 rollout will add 340+ satellites, enhancing flexibility, capacity, and resilience.
• ISRO Partnership: India’s LVM3 rocket, nicknamed Bahubali, is being considered for these launches. ISRO has proven reliability with commercial missions, including recent deals with AST SpaceMobile.
• Strategic Goals: The Gen-2 fleet will strengthen business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-government (B2G) offerings, targeting enterprise connectivity, defense, and sovereign data needs.
• Replenishment Needs: About 100 Gen-1 satellites are due for replacement, making ISRO’s role in upcoming launches even more critical.

Comparison: ISRO vs Other Launch Partners

Criteria	ISRO (LVM3)	SpaceX (Falcon 9)	Arianespace (Ariane 6)
Reliability	100% success rate for LVM3 commercial launches	High success rate, frequent launches	New vehicle, still proving track record
Payload Capacity	~6.5 tons to LEO	~22 tons to LEO	~20 tons to LEO
Cost Efficiency	Competitive pricing, attractive for bulk launches	Higher costs but frequent cadence	Traditionally higher costs
Geopolitical Advantage	Strong India-Europe ties, diversification from US	US-based, subject to export controls	EU-based, aligned with Eutelsat HQ
Recent Deals	AST SpaceMobile BlueBird satellite launch	Starlink competitor, less likely to host OneWeb	Preparing for commercial debut

Risks & Considerations

• Launch Cadence: ISRO’s LVM3 has fewer annual launches compared to SpaceX, which could affect timelines.
• Competition: SpaceX’s Starlink is a direct competitor, making reliance on Falcon 9 less strategic for OneWeb.
• Technology Transition: Gen-2 satellites will use a more advanced architecture, requiring careful integration with ISRO’s launch systems.
• Regulatory Factors: India’s satcom policies and spectrum allocation will influence how quickly OneWeb can expand services locally.

Strategic Impact

• India’s Role: Partnering with ISRO positions India as a major player in global satcom, aligning with its ambitions in sovereign data and space commercialization.
• Global Coverage: Gen-2 satellites will improve OneWeb’s reach in underserved regions, supporting enterprise, government, and defense connectivity.
• Market Differentiation: By diversifying launch providers, OneWeb reduces dependency on SpaceX and strengthens resilience against geopolitical risks.

Airbus Now the Sole Owner of Airbus OneWeb Satellites (AOS), A JV Founded in 2016

This Monday, Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc. announced completion of a deal with Eutelsat OneWeb to purchase its 50% share of the Airbus OneWeb Satellites (AOS) joint venture, which was established in 2016.

With this announcement, Indian multinational conglomerate, Bharti, and Japan's Softbank, who were earlier the co-owners in OneWeb, are no longer the owners in the satellite constellation company.

Till year 2021, India's Bharti Global along with France-based satellite service provider Eutelsat and the UK Government were the OneWeb’s largest shareholders, while Japan's SoftBank retained an equity holding of 12%. Last year in September, Eutelsat merged with OneWeb and created a new "Eutelsat Group" company, with subsidiaries "Eutelsat" and "Eutelsat OneWeb".

With completion of this 50% shares purchase, Airbus is now the sole owner of Airbus OneWeb Satellites (AOS) and the satellite manufacturing facility in Merritt Island, Florida.

The new structure is expected to provide maximum efficiency and increased competitiveness for commercial, institutional and national security space customers.

“This agreement furthers our position as a market leader in the small satellite constellation business, building on our successful partnership with OneWeb,” said Robert Geckle, Chairman and CEO, Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc. “We will continue mass producing small satellites for our customers and are excited for what the f uture holds for us on Florida’s Space Coast as we move forward,” he added.

Airbus U.S. Space & Defense recently retooled the Merritt Island factory to accomodate the Arrow450 production line and is starting an expansion project to meet increased demand for small satellites from commercial and government customers deepening the company’s presence in Florida.

The Airbus OneWeb Satellites joint venture, established in 2016, built more than 600 satellites at the rate of two per day for the OneWeb first generation constellation, currently operating on orbit.

A couple of months back, OneWeb India received the necessary authorisations from IN-SPACe to launch Eutelsat OneWeb's commercial satellite broadband services in India.

Eutelsat OneWeb Gets India's Approval for Satellite Broadband Services

Eutelsat OneWeb first to receive approval from Indian space regulator for satellite broadband services

Eutelsat OneWeb has received the necessary authorisations from IN-SPACe to launch its commercial satellite broadband services in India. This authorisation means Eutelsat OneWeb can launch commercial connectivity services as soon as spectrum allocation has been granted by the Indian Government. 

OneWeb India has today received the necessary authorisations from IN-SPACe to launch Eutelsat OneWeb’s commercial satellite broadband services in India. OneWeb India is the first organisation to be granted this authorisation.  Eutelsat OneWeb, the low earth orbit operator, is part of Eutelsat Group.

IN-SPACe is the agency of the Government of India, responsible for regulating space activities and granting authorisation for conducting the space activities in the country. This authorisation means Eutelsat OneWeb can launch commercial connectivity services as soon as spectrum allocation has been granted by the Government.

Bharti Group Chairman and Vice-President (Co-Chair) of the Board of Directors of Eutelsat Group, Sunil Bharti Mittal, said: “We are pleased to note the Indian space regulator’s green light to launch Eutelsat OneWeb’s commercial satellite broadband services in India. This will be a critical step forward to meet India’s ambition of providing internet connectivity for all and will enable the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of Digital India. Eutelsat OneWeb is ready to deploy as soon as it receives the final spectrum authorization to launch commercial services.”

Cyril Dujardin, Co-General Manager of Connectivity at Eutelsat Group, said: “Bridging the connectivity gap around the world requires collaboration across business but also with governments and regulators. We are pleased to have received these approvals from the space regulator that bring the country a significant step closer to providing high speed connectivity to even the most remote locations. Having completed our LEO constellation last year, we are perfectly placed to deliver this vital connectivity service to businesses across India.”

This news adds to Eutelsat OneWeb’s existing strong position in the Indian market, where OneWeb India already holds the necessary licences from the Department of Telecommunications to provide broadband services using satellite connectivity. The business has also obtained in principle approval to establish and operate two gateways in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, which would secure the provision of vital high-speed, low-latency internet connectivity to customers across India, once services are rolled out.

Bharti Global-Backed Spacetech Startup OneWeb To Begin Full Satellite Broadband Service In India

OneWeb, the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communications startup backed by Bharti Global, has launched 36 satellites today, 1 July, at 6:18 pm IST. With flight named Flight ST33, the launch took place from the Soyuz launch complex in Vostochny Cosmodrome, a Russian spaceport.

The launch took place just days after Bharti Global invested $500 million in OneWeb for a 38.6% stake in the company. With the launch of these 36 satellites, OneWeb completes its ‘Five to 50’ mission and has a total number of 254 satellites.

Save the date - on 1st July at 8:48AM (ET) / 1:48PM (BST), we’ll be launching our 8th set of satellites. Taking our constellation to a total of 254 satellites, this launch will allow us to provide complete coverage north of 50 degrees latitude by the end of the 2021 🌍 pic.twitter.com/8BrUsTWwgt

— OneWeb (@OneWeb) June 23, 2021

"The latest launch takes OneWeb’s in-orbit constellation to 254 satellites, or 40 percent of OneWeb’s planned fleet of 648 Low Earth Orbit satellites that will deliver high-speed, low-latency global connectivity,” said OneWeb.

“With this major milestone, the Company is ready to deliver connectivity across the United Kingdom, Canada, Alaska, Northern Europe, Greenland, and the Arctic Region. OneWeb intends to make global service available in 2022.”

The launch took place at Russian spaceport Vostochny Cosmodrome and was conducted by Arianespace, one of the major satellite launching companies in the world.

Earlier in last month, UK-based Network Access Associates (NAA), a OneWeb Group company, announced the acquisition of up to 74% stake in OneWeb India Communications as the latter gears up to run gateways and enter the bandwidth leasing business before launching fast satellite broadband services in India next year.

The $500 million investment by Indian billionaire Sunil Bharti Mittal run Bharti Global makes it the largest shareholder in the firm.

"Today’s momentous milestone demonstrates that OneWeb is now a leader in Low Earth Orbit broadband connectivity, serving a wide range of stakeholders across the Northern Hemisphere,” Mittal said in the statement.

"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 a testament to the commitment to OneWeb’s mission."

"How long you can be killing each other [operators], we will not hesitate on raising tariffs, but cannot do it unilaterally."

OneWeb UK Unit to Acquire Upto 74% in OneWeb India: Report

UK-based Network Access Associates (NAA), a OneWeb Group company, is set to acquire up to 74% stake in OneWeb India Communications as the latter gears up to run gateways and enter the bandwidth leasing business before launching fast satellite broadband services in India next year.

At present, OneWeb India is fully owned by Nettle Infrastructure Investments, a Bharti Airtel unit.

OneWeb is the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) broadband satellite communications company. A consortium of UK Government (through the UK Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) and Bharti Global, has invested $1bn of new equity to offer broadband connectivity services, via a constellation of 650 LEO satellites.

“Now, Network Access Associates, a wholly owned arm of Bharti Global-backed OneWeb UK, will acquire a significant majority portion of Nettle Infra’s stake in OneWeb India and seek the requisite statutory approvals,” a person aware of the matter told ET on condition of anonymity.

Bharti Airtel is also a Bharti group company. Bharti Global is the overseas arm of Bharti Enterprises, the holding company of Bharti Airtel, India’s second-largest telecom operator.

UK-based OneWeb’s stakeholders – Bharti Global, the UK government, SoftBank and Hughes Network Systems – are all represented in NAA. Eutelsat too will be represented after the French geo-stationary satellite operator’s stated 24% stake buy in OneWeb-UK achieves closure, said another senior industry executive familiar with the matter.

OneWeb Group did not reply to ET’s queries till press time.

OneWeb India Communications, which recently applied for a global mobile personal communications by satellite services (GMPCS) permit to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), is likely to lease a sizable chunk of its satellite bandwidth capacity to offer cellular backhaul connectivity services to Bharti Airtel and other telcos facing challenges in offering uninterrupted 4G coverage in India’s rural and remote corners amid a paucity of mobile towers, terrestrial microwave links and fibre networks.

OneWeb India may also offer satellite-based connectivity to private Internet of Things networks in India by leveraging its upcoming in-country earth station gateways. The telecom regulator is set to back widening the scope of GMPCS licences to allow such connectivity to IoT devices within a service area.

Globally, OneWeb is setting up a global constellation of about 650 low-earth orbit satellites that will be leveraged to offer fast internet-from-spaces services worldwide. It is preparing to deliver high-speed, low-latency satellite broadband services in rural and remote regions globally including India, aiming to take on Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’s Amazon-linked Project Kuiper. OneWeb is slated to roll out satellite internet services in India by June 2022.

A slice of OneWeb’s bandwidth capacity may also be set aside to enable Indo Teleports – another Bharti Airtel unit – to offer inflight connectivity and broadband services on domestic and foreign airlines using satellite systems and also voice-calling and internet connectivity on ships. This is possible since Indo Teleports has a flight and maritime connectivity licence using satellite systems.

Original Source - Economics Times

OneWeb Appoints Former Airtel VP Eric Gillenwater as Vice President and Business Head of Global Carrier and Enterprise

LONDON, Jan. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- OneWeb, the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communications company, is pleased to announce that Eric Gillenwater has been appointed to the role of Vice President and Business Head of Global Carrier and Enterprise, leading the Company's Enterprise division. 

In his new role, Eric is responsible for engaging distribution partners who can bring OneWeb's forward-thinking, enterprise-grade connectivity solutions to market. Eric will ensure the enterprise market is taking full advantage of OneWeb's LEO network capabilities which will offer unprecedented speed and low latency connectivity to customers as early as the end of 2021.

Eric brings more than 20 years of global telecommunications experience to OneWeb, most recently with Airtel as Vice President and Business Head of Airtel USA.

Eric Gillenwater said: "I am delighted to have joined a company with so much potential. The OneWeb solution fits incredibly well into the product portfolio of our partner companies. The OneWeb offering can either be the primary solution or part of a multi-technology answer for Enterprise applications. I am looking forward to working with our global partners to bring OneWeb's LEO technology to enterprises of all sizes around the world."

He added: "Currently many markets are grossly underserved by fiber or have limited satellite options due to high cost and high latency, thus creating a cost and customer experience challenge. My priority will be to upend this status quo and engage global partners to expand their business opportunities and increase the user experience."

OneWeb will rapidly deploy enterprise connectivity to unserved and underserved sites and increase the capacity, availability and performance of existing solutions to ultimately maximise success for enterprise customers.

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 

India's Bharti Global-led Consortium Wins Bid for OneWeb, A Satellite Firm Aiming Superfast Broadband Globally

The UK government has joined forces with India’s Bharti Global to buy the collapsed satellite operator OneWeb, which is building a network of hundreds of low Earth orbit satellites in order to accomplish its goal of providing internet services to "everyone, everywhere" delivering internet connections to rural and remote places as well as to a range of markets.

The consortium, along with the UK govt, is pledging $1 billion , to be jointly invested in OneWeb. Each of the two parties -- Bharti Group & UK government -- expected to invest US$500 million for a combined investment of US$1 billion.

We are excited to announce that a consortium of @beisgovuk & Bharti Global have committed to provide more than USD$1 billion to acquire OneWeb and fund the full restart of our business operations. (1/7)

— OneWeb (@OneWeb) July 3, 2020

Notably, OneWeb went bankrupt in March while trying to build a spacecraft network to deliver broadband internet globally. On 27 March 2020, OneWeb filed for bankruptcy, following a cash crunch amidst COVID-19 crisis and at the same time surrounded by difficulty raising capital to complete the build and deployment of the remaining 90% of the network.

Founded in 2012 under the name WorldVuIt, OneWeb commenced launches of the OneWeb satellite constellation in February 2019 with a network of more than 650 low Earth orbit satellites, and by March 2020, the company had launched only 74 of the planned 648 satellites in the initial constellation.

In June 2015, Bharti Group participated in $500 million round of funding in OneWeb.

Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, said in a statement, "I am delighted that Bharti will be leading the effort to deliver the promise of universal broadband connectivity through OneWeb, with the active support and participation of the British Government. In addition to the strategic opportunities across a wide range of other applications and working with a broad range of international partners, this business has substantial commercial use cases across the telecoms, enterprise, aviation and maritime sectors."

“With strong operational execution, we will be able to generate an attractive return for investors, while ensuring that Britain plays a leading role in space and next-generation communications,” Mittal said.

If the deal materialize, the UK Government would acquire a 45% stake in OneWeb while Bharti Global of India who would hold 55%. The deal being subject to US Bankruptcy Court and regulatory approval.

Notably, the bankrupt global satellite operator also counts SoftBank Group Corp as one of its major big investors as the Japanese conglomerate has put in over $2 billion in OneWeb . In December 2016, SoftBank had invested US$1 billion in OneWeb. In March 2019, OneWeb raised fresh $1.25 billion in funding from SoftBank, Qualcomm, Mexico's Grupo Salinas as well as the Government of Rwanda.