London Tech Week kicks off with initiatives to boost UK telecoms

The 10th London Tech Week has commenced with a series of ambitious initiatives aimed at solidifying the UK's position as a telecoms leader.

Some of the initiatives announced this week include:

Supporting local authorities in procuring and testing "smart lampposts" to enhance connectivity within communities Signing a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the UK and Australia to establish a roadmap for future telecoms collaboration Connecting the remote...

12 June 2023 | 5G

OneWeb successfully deploys 36 new LEO satellites

OneWeb has successfully added 36 new LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellites to its constellation.

With the UK not set to bring its vertical space launch capabilities online until next year, the British satellite operator turned to NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) to conduct the launches from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India.

Radhakrishnan D, Chairman-cum-Managing Director at NewSpace India Limited, said:

“The successful launch of 36 OneWeb...

24 October 2022 | Networks

Musk says Beijing disapproved of Starlink’s rollout in Ukraine

According to Elon Musk, Beijing made clear that it disapproved of Starlink’s rollout in Ukraine.

Russia attempted to sever Ukraine’s connectivity in the early stages of its invasion. The aggressor even targeted satellite operators like Viasat, which spread to neighbouring countries and risked triggering a collective NATO response.

Starlink was quickly rolled out in Ukraine to help the country defend itself, ensure it doesn’t become isolated, and document Russia’s...

11 October 2022 | Legislation & Government

Eutelsat confirms OneWeb merge plan

French satellite firm Eutelsat has confirmed plans to merge with British low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite innovator OneWeb.

Eutelsat operates 36 geostationary (GEO) satellites, of which the first launched in 2000. The high altitudes of GEO satellites cover large geographic areas but have slow speeds and high latency.

LEO satellites – like those operated by OneWeb, SpaceX, and Telesat – require larger constellations to provide adequate coverage but support more...

25 July 2022 | Networks

UK Ministry of Defence picks Globalstar to safeguard RAF personnel

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) will use Globalstar’s SPOT Gen4 satellite GPS messengers to safeguard Royal Air Force (RAF) Force Protection personnel during training.

Force Protection is the RAF’s ground fighting element that specialises in controlling the ground to ensure control of the air. Globally renowned, Force Protection operates both at home and overseas to ensure the safety of aircraft and personnel.

Due to the various situations in which they can be...

8 June 2022 | Rural Telecoms

OneWeb to provide LEO satellite connectivity services across BT Group

BT has signed a Distribution Partner Agreement with OneWeb that will see the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite firm provide connectivity services across BT Group.

The agreement builds on a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the two companies in July. As part of the previous agreement, OneWeb promised to help BT to bridge “the last digital divides” across the UK.

BT says that satellite services form a key component of its vision to enable digital solutions anywhere...

2 November 2021 | Networks

OneWeb sends a further 34 broadband satellites into orbit

OneWeb continues to gain momentum after sending a further 34 of its broadband satellites into orbit.

Arianespace launched the satellites from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on 21 August at 23:13 BST. The satellites were dispensed in nine batches over a period of three hours 45 minutes and successful contact was made with all satellites.

Neil Masterson, CEO of OneWeb, commented:

“Following the successful completion of our ‘Five to 50’ mission, we are building on...

23 August 2021 | Broadband

UK satellite firm OneWeb receives a $500M boost from Bharti

UK-based LEO (Low-Earth Orbit) satellite firm OneWeb is continuing a big news week with a $500 million investment from Bharti Global.

OneWeb received $1 billion from the UK Government and Bharti Global last year.

Rt. Hon Kwasi Kwarteng, MP, Secretary of State, BEIS, said:

“Today’s additional $500 million investment in OneWeb by Bharti marks yet another vote of confidence in the company from the market. It’s clear that investors see a strong future for...

30 June 2021 | Networks