OneWeb seeks to launch its services by June 2024 in India

OneWeb, a satellite-based internet service provider backed by Bharti Group, has applied for spectrum and is expecting the imminent allocation of the radio waves. The company is hoping to launch its commercial services in India by June 2024. OneWeb has signed a six-year distribution partner agreement with Hughes Communications India (HCIPL), a joint venture between Bharti Group and satellite services company Hughes, to provide Low Earth Orbit (LEO) connectivity services across India.

“OneWeb will have an early-mover advantage in India, as competitors who are in the fray to provide satellite communications service in India are either in the development stage or lag behind in data link speed. OneWeb has submitted an application to the Wireless Planning and Coordination Wing (WPC) of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for spectrum allocation. Once Spectrum is allocated, OneWeb can launch the commercial services,” said HCIPL, President and Managing Director, Shivaji Chatterjee in an interview with PTI.

OneWeb aims to provide internet connectivity to towns, villages, and remote areas across India where the terrestrial network is limited. Unlike its competitor Starlink, OneWeb has clarified that it does not plan to offer a direct-to-mobile service due to current technological limitations. However, the company said to deliver 50-200 megabits per second backhaul to government and enterprises that can further allocate internet services to homes, consumer devices, schools, health centers, and more.

OneWeb’s competitor, Starlink, is also planning to launch its services in India and has applied for a permit. However, the company is yet to get approval from the Indian government.