OneWeb signs Hughes as distribution partner
March 10, 2020
By Chris Forrester
OneWeb used the opening day of the somewhat muted Satellite 2020 event to announce it had signed Hughes Network Systems as a global distribution partner.
OneWeb is building a mega-constellation of an initial 650 Low Earth Orbiting satellites which will start offering broadband services towards the end of 2021.
“We are entering a new era of global connectivity demand that can only be fulfilled by a mix of data transport services, including terrestrial, geostationary and Low Earth Orbit satellites,” said Pradman Kaul, president, Hughes. “OneWeb complements our service portfolio with a truly global coverage, low-latency option that will enable our customers to meet their end users’ needs for connectivity everywhere.”
Hughes is a subsidiary of Charlie Ergen-founded EchoStar, and is an investor in OneWeb.
“Connectivity is only truly valuable when it delivers the user experience that customers need, and in today’s fast-moving digital economy, businesses and civil government organisations need high quality, continuous internet access wherever they are,” said Adrian Steckel, CEO, OneWeb. “I’m delighted that Hughes is joining OneWeb on our mission to deliver this vision. Hughes is already an important investor and an invaluable technology partner, and I look forward to working together to bring OneWeb’s pioneering technology to markets around the world.”