OneWeb is a satellite network that is partly owned by the Government, and is tipped to be Britain’s alternative to the EU Galileo system in the future. It is currently a constellation of low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites that beam signals in 3G, 5G, LTE and Wi-Fi for high-speed Internet access to all corners of the globe. OneWeb announced the deal as Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits India to negotiate trade and technology deals tipped to be worth £1billion.
The London based firm was forced to look for alternatives after Roscosmos, Russia’s space agency, held hostage 36 OneWeb satellites that were supposed to launch on March 4 on a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
This move came as a response to harsh sanctions imposed on Russia by the West over its brutal invasion of Ukraine.
Since then, OneWeb signed a deal with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to launch the rest of the satellites, with this new deal with India set to complement that agreement.
OneWeb expects the first launch with India took take place at the Satish Dhawan Centre by the end of 2022.
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The company will likely use India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), its largest and most capable rocket.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, Anuj Chande from accounting firm Grant Thorto, noted: “Both India and the UK have active space programmes and I can foresee that with this platform, there will be greater collaboration including in the area of manufacturing in India.
“Collaboration could be on many levels including joint missions, technology transfer and joint research.”
OneWeb is jointly owned by the Government and Indian conglomerate Bharti Global, which owns the largest share of the company.
In a statement, its Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said: “This is yet another historic day for collaboration in space, thanks to the shared ambition and vision of NewSpace India and OneWeb.
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“Additionally, Indian technology companies based in the UK are estimated to provide thousands of jobs.”
Meanwhile, Dr Amrita Saha, a Research Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies said: “UK and Indian businesses are involved in several partnership programmes, especially in the health and technology sectors, that offer footholds for companies to access new markets, create employment opportunities, and offer pathways for innovation and strengthened collaboration.”