Eutelsat OneWeb

Eutelsat OneWeb is a low Earth orbit (LEO) broadband satellite communications system providing global satellite internet services. Originally developed by OneWeb, the system became part of the Eutelsat Group following the completion of a merger announced on 28 September 2023, creating a new Eutelsat Group with operating subsidiaries Eutelsat and Eutelsat OneWeb. The constellation represents one of the largest operational LEO satellite fleets.

OneWeb launched its first satellites in February 2019 but entered bankruptcy proceedings in March 2020 after failing to secure sufficient funding to complete the network. The company was subsequently recapitalised in November 2020 by a new ownership group that included Eutelsat and the UK Government.

The OneWeb concept originated with WorldVu, which in June 2014 acquired LEO satellite spectrum filings previously held by SkyBridge, an earlier broadband satellite venture that failed in 2000. Early system designs envisaged 400 satellites in 20 orbital planes, later revised to a constellation of 648 satellites (600 operational plus 48 on-orbit spares). As of 20 May 2023, 634 satellites were operational, with two reported failures.

OneWeb satellites have a mass of approximately 150 kg and operate in 12 near-polar circular orbital planes at an altitude of approximately 1,200 km, with an inclination of 86.4°. The constellation architecture yields typical round-trip latencies of around 70 ms. Electrical power is generated by deployable solar arrays, providing several hundred watts per spacecraft.

User services are provided using a bent-pipe payload architecture operating in Ku-band, supporting download speeds of up to 150 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 20 Mbps. The satellites do not employ inter-satellite links; instead, traffic is routed via Ka-band feeder links to gateway ground stations, requiring simultaneous visibility of both the user terminal and a gateway.

Because OneWeb satellites operate at higher altitudes than some other LEO constellations, they cannot passively deorbit within a short timeframe. Each satellite therefore carries sufficient propellant to enable controlled deorbit at end of life. In addition, the spacecraft are equipped with a magnetic grappling fixture to facilitate active debris removal if required.

OneWeb’s stated market focus is primarily on enterprise, government (including defence), telecommunications operators, and community connectivity, rather than direct-to-consumer broadband, in contrast to systems such as Starlink.