OneWeb

OneWeb, formerly known as WorldVu Satellites,[1][2] is a global communications company founded by Greg Wyler. The company is based in Arlington, Virginia[3] and plans to launch the OneWeb satellite constellation, a network of 648[4] Low Earth orbit microsatellites, starting in late 2018.[5]

Its intended goal is to provide internet services to "hundreds of millions of potential users residing in places without [existing] broadband access".[6]

History

The company was founded in 2012 under the name WorldVu,[1] based in Britain’s Channel Islands.[7]

OneWeb secured $500 million in funding including launch deals with Virgin Galactic and Arianespace in 2015.[8][6]

In June 2015, OneWeb entered a deal with Airbus Defence and Space for the construction of its broadband Internet satellites after a competition among U.S. and European manufacturers.[9]

In December 2016, OneWeb raised $1 billion from SoftBank Group Corp. and $200 million from existing investors.[10][11] In July 2016, one year after the initial announcement, OneWeb stated they were on schedule.[12]

In February 2017, OneWeb announced that it expected to sell all of its capacity by launch time, yet the only announced capacity sold was for a joint Gogo and Intelsat venture. Wyler announced he was considering nearly quadrupling the size of the satellite constellation by adding 1,972 additional satellites that it has priority rights to.[10] With the original capital raise of $500 million in 2015, plus the $1 billion investment of SoftBank in 2016, previous "investors committed to an additional $200 million, bringing OneWeb’s total capital raised to $1.7 billion."[10]

A merger arrangement with Intelsat that had been in negotiations during May 2017 collapsed in June and did not go forward.[13]

References

  1. 1 2 "OneWeb Announces Plans to Launch a New Satellite Constellation to Bring High-Speed Internet to Underserved Areas Around the World". PR Newswire. 15 January 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  2. ↑ "Virgin, Qualcomm Invest in OneWeb Satellite Internet Venture". Spacenews.com. 15 January 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  3. ↑ "SoftBank to invest $1 billion in U.S. venture OneWeb as part of $50 billion pledge". Reuters.
  4. ↑ "OneWeb | Solution". OneWeb. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  5. ↑ "OneWeb shifts first launch to year's end - SpaceNews.com". SpaceNews.com. Retrieved 2018-07-25.
  6. 1 2 "OneWeb Wins $500 Million in Backing for Internet Satellite Network". NBC News. 2015-06-25. Retrieved 2016-02-08.
  7. ↑ "WorldVu, a Satellite Startup Aiming To Provide Global Internet Connectivity, Continues To Grow Absent Clear Google Relationship". Spacenews.com. 3 September 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  8. ↑ "Google-backed Global Broadband Venture Secures Spectrum for Satellite Network". SpaceNews. 2014-05-30. Retrieved 2016-02-08.
  9. ↑ Clark, Stephen. "OneWeb selects Airbus to build 900 Internet satellites | Spaceflight Now". Retrieved 2016-02-08.
  10. 1 2 3 "OneWeb weighing 2,000 more satellites - SpaceNews.com". 24 February 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  11. ↑ FORTUNE. "Japan's SoftBank Invests $1 Billion in Satellite Startup OneWeb". Fortune. Retrieved 2016-12-23.
  12. ↑ http://spacenews.com/one-year-after-kickoff-oneweb-says-its-700-satellite-constellation-is-on-schedule/
  13. ↑ "OneWeb says no steam lost despite Intelsat merger unravelling - SpaceNews.com". 1 June 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
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