OneWeb Pockets Satellite Broadband Service Launch Permit In South Asia

JAKARTA OneWeb, a satellite connectivity provider, has received approval from the space watchdog agency, IN-SPACE, in India to launch a commercial roadband satellite service.

These services are permitted to be distributed in South Asian countries such as Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and much more. However, this launch will depend on the determination of the spectra restricted by local governments.

From the TechCrunch report, One Web claims that it is the first company to receive authorization from IN-SPACE to launch a broadband satellite service in India, the world's second-largest internet service user.

Before IN-SPACE granted permission, OneWeb had also received a license from India's Ministry of Telecommunications to establish a two gateaway, network linking software, in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.

The hope is that OneWeb can provide faster internet connectivity and lower latency to all customers in India. The company will rely on the internet from satellite beam to reduce costs.

Since January this year, OneWeb has built a constellation of satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The satellites were launched by NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) and the Indian Space Research Agency (ISRO).

As part of the Eutelsat Group, OneWeb believes that the LEO satellite constellation will complement the needs of terrestrial connections with integrated satellite connections in the long term.

Even though it has been permitted, OneWeb has not provided additional information regarding the plan to deploy their roadband services. At least, they have obtained permission for now.