has filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) seeking access to the U.S. market for their planned Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite system.
OneWeb's non-geostationary satellite constellation will make broadband access available today to many individuals across the world who have limited or no access. When fully deployed, OneWeb’s system will support a wide variety of important services in the U.S. and across the globe, including cellular backhaul, mobility services, community and residential Internet access, and emergency communications.
Consisting of hundreds of satellites, OneWeb’s constellation will operate in LEO at an altitude of 1,200 km, enabling low latency Internet access that is comparable with terrestrial solutions. Low latency is required for supporting cloud-based applications such as trading, e-games, e-medicine, VOIP, and machine-to-machine services. The system will have low-cost, easy to install Ku-band user terminals and a small number of globally distributed Ka-band gateway antennas.
OneWeb’s application demonstrates that the system will comply with the Commission's rules and the International Telecommunication Union's requirements for highly spectrum-efficient sharing of the Ku-band and Ka-band with geostationary satellites. The progressive pitch technology is designed to modify the orientation and power level of the OneWeb satellites as they pass over the equator, thereby enabling sharing with geostationary satellite operators.
The company is supported by global leaders in the technology, aerospace, communications, and consumer markets, which collectively have provided more than $500 million in financing to OneWeb, including Airbus Group, Bharti Enterprises, Coca-Cola Company, Echostar, Grupo Salinas, Intelsat, MDA, Qualcomm Inc. and Virgin Group.
Should the FCC grant OneWeb's petition, then the company's satellite constellation will assist in closing the digital gap between developed and developing regions of the world, bringing the firm's objectives into alignment with various public initiatives and goals.
