Eutelsat OneWeb (formerly OneWeb) is a satellite communications company aiming to bridge the digital divide by providing high-speed, low-latency broadband internet services globally via a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation. As a subsidiary of Eutelsat Group, it focuses on delivering connectivity solutions to governments, enterprises, and communities in underserved areas, as well as to the maritime and aviation sectors. Key partners include distribution partners, Airbus (through OneWeb Satellites, a joint venture for satellite manufacturing), and technology providers like Microsoft Azure and AWS for network peering.
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OneWeb raised $3,400,000,000 in funding during the megaconstellation financing wave.
OneWeb and SoftBank stated that Intelsat received a cease-and-desist letter earlier in 2019 for promoting exclusive distribution rights to OneWeb satellite capacity in four markets where it had none.
Intelsat invested $25,000,000 in OneWeb in 2015 to help OneWeb pursue a constellation of 650 internet-beaming smallsats in low Earth orbit.
OneWeb and SoftBank contend Intelsat’s exclusivity claims stem from an October 2016 agreement under which SoftBank, as part of its $1,000,000,000 investment in OneWeb, acquired the right to purchase all capacity and services that OneWeb would develop in the future.
SoftBank incorporated terminating its OneWeb capacity arrangement into its plan to invest more money into OneWeb in late 2018.
Intelsat had until 2017-01-25 to finalize negotiations under the 2016 agreement, and two extensions occurred without a finalized purchase agreement, according to OneWeb and SoftBank.
OneWeb and SoftBank assert that the dissolution of the SoftBank–OneWeb arrangement closed Intelsat’s window to obtain OneWeb services discussed in 2016.
Finalists for Deal of the Year included SpaceX raising $1,000,000,000+, NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services awards, OneWeb raising $1,000,000,000+, HawkEye 360’s $70,000,000 Series B, Virgin Galactic’s IPO, Relativity’s $140,000,000 round, the Raytheon-United Technologies merger, and the L3-Harris Corp. merger.
SpaceX is competing with Amazon, OneWeb, and Telesat, which are also seeking to deploy hundreds or thousands of satellites for global internet access.
OneWeb procured 39 LauncherOne missions from Virgin Orbit in 2015 but canceled all but four of those missions in 2018, prompting a lawsuit from Virgin Orbit.
In addition to 20 Soyuz launches, OneWeb agreed to launch 30 satellites on Arianespace's maiden flight of the Ariane 6 in the second half of 2020.
OneWeb plans to begin service in the Arctic in late 2020 and achieve global coverage in 2021.
OneWeb plans to deploy a global broadband constellation with as many as 1,980 satellites.
Both Astroscale and ClearSpace won contracts to participate in the Sunrise Project, a public-private partnership led by OneWeb and the European Space Agency to explore advanced technologies including active debris removal.
OneWeb raised $1,250,000,000 2019 for a constellation of at least 650 satellites.
Eutelsat contrasts the capital magnitude needed for its planned ELO nanosatellite constellation with the larger investments planned by Telesat, OneWeb, and SpaceX for broadband LEO constellations.
Intelsat’s direct dialogue with SoftBank stopped suddenly in April 2018 while SoftBank was actively seeking to sell its investment in OneWeb.
OneWeb planned to focus its business on offering broadband access to consumers worldwide and providing communications services in underserved geographic areas.
Intelsat filed a nine-count lawsuit in the New York Supreme Court on 2019-09-10 alleging that OneWeb and SoftBank breached contracts, committed fraud, and conspired to steal confidential and proprietary information.
In 2016, SoftBank invested nearly $1,000,000,000 in OneWeb and acquired a 40 percent stake in the company.