OneWeb is a satellite internet provider that is partly owned by the UK government. The company is still building its constellation of satellites and conducting field trials, but the OneWeb satellite internet business model is based on selling services to telcos and other business partners.
As of September 2022, OneWeb’s satellite internet service is not yet available and will not be sold directly to consumers. If you need reliable satellite internet in the meantime, check out our satellite internet service comparison below.
OneWeb Satellite Review 2023
Everything we know about OneWeb’s Satellites so far and what to expect from the internet service
January 05, 2023
What is OneWeb?
Check out other satellite internet providers near you
OneWeb vs. other satellite internet providers
Actual speeds may vary and are not guaranteed. *Promotional price is for the first 3 months. Regular internet rate applies after 3 months ($50–$200/mo.). **Service plans require a 24-month commitment.
Is OneWeb available?
OneWeb is still in the process of building and launching satellites to create its internet service, so it’s not yet available. The company does not sell satellite internet directly to consumer households; instead, the company is developing partnerships with telcos, broadband providers, and other organizations that sell internet services to people and businesses.
OneWeb has experienced some challenges and growing pains as it seeks to make its service available. OneWeb declared bankruptcy in March 2020, and was then purchased out of bankruptcy by the UK Government and Bharti, an Indian multinational company with extensive investments in telecommunications.
In March 2022, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, OneWeb suspended its satellite launches on the Russian Soyuz rocket, causing additional delay and uncertainty about how and when it would complete its constellation of satellites. OneWeb then announced a partnership with its competitor, SpaceX, to use Falcon 9 rockets to launch its satellites.1
As of September 2022, OneWeb is continuing to make progress in building and launching its constellation of satellites, conducting field trials of its technology, and creating partnerships to provide its satellite internet service around the world. The company expects to complete its satellite launch program in 2023.2
It’ll take several launches between now and 2029 for the Project Kuiper team to get the satellite constellation up and running. Fortunately, launches are already planned.
Who is the owner of OneWeb?
OneWeb’s leading investors include the UK government; Bharti, an Indian multinational company; and SoftBank, a Japanese technology firm. In July 2022, OneWeb announced that it would be merging with Eutelstat, a leading satellite operations company based in France.3
Does the UK own OneWeb?
OneWeb is partly owned by the UK government, which invested $500 million in the company in 2020.4 Although OneWeb has some government backing, it is a for-profit company that has other private investors, not just the UK government.
Is OneWeb Indian?
Another major investor in OneWeb is Bharti Global, a multinational conglomerate based in India. Bharti invested $500 million in OneWeb in 2020, and another $500 million in 2021.5 OneWeb is not just an Indian company; it is an international company with investors and business partners all over the world.
Is OneWeb a LEO?
OneWeb uses Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites to provide low-latency, high-speed internet connectivity. The goal is to provide faster connectivity to all parts of the world, even the most remote.
Once its service is available, OneWeb’s LEO satellites are expected to provide extremely fast, fiber-like internet speeds of up to 200 Mbps.6
Is OneWeb better than Starlink?
It is hard to compare OneWeb to Starlink because OneWeb’s internet service is not yet available to the public and will not be sold directly to individual households. Starlink’s internet service is already available in some areas and has both residential and business access.
Starlink currently has more satellites (over 2,000) than OneWeb, but Starlink’s satellites are deployed lower in the sky.7 Depending on your needs, OneWeb’s constellation might be competitive with Starlink once it is available. We’ll just have to see.
What is better than Starlink?
There are a few options on the market for satellite internet providers. We recommend HughesNet internet over Starlink because of its wider availability, but check out our Starlink review to see how it compares with other satellite internet services in your area.
Who builds OneWeb?
OneWeb has a factory in Florida that builds its satellites, and the company’s headquarters is in London. OneWeb also has a partnership with SpaceX to launch its satellites into orbit.
How many OneWeb satellites are there?
OneWeb is in the process of building a constellation of 648 Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, and as of July 2022, 428 satellites were currently in orbit.8
Who is CEO of OneWeb?
The CEO of OneWeb is Neil Masterson, who joined the company in October 2020 after it exited bankruptcy under new ownership. Neil Masterson is a former longtime executive and co-COO at Thomson Reuters. He has a proven track record of driving improvements in operational performance and profitability, with extensive experience involving M&A and rapid scaling of services.9
How much does OneWeb internet cost?
OneWeb satellite internet service pricing is not yet available, as the company is still building its constellation of satellites. In the future, OneWeb internet service will be sold via partnerships with telecoms, broadband providers, governments, and other organizations that deliver internet service to customers, so the cost won’t matter to the average residential user.
The OneWeb and Eutelsat merger
In July 2022, OneWeb and Eutelsat announced their intention to merge. The combined company would bring together Eutelsat’s fleet of 36 geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites with OneWeb’s growing constellation of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. This would be the world’s first combination of LEO and GEO satellites, which could mean new capabilities for connectivity.
The OneWeb and Eutelsat merger is expected to close by the end of the first half of 2023.10
Will OneWeb be available in the US and if so, when?
OneWeb has already signed partnerships with some US-based telco providers, including AT&T,11 so the service will eventually be available in the US, even if you won’t sign up through OneWeb itself. Check with your telco provider to see when OneWeb satellite internet service might be available in your area.
Should you plan to get OneWeb when it’s available?
OneWeb has experienced some speed bumps along its development journey, including a 2020 bankruptcy and disruptions caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But the company seems to be on solid financial footing, has a promising business model and partnerships, and has the potential for exceptionally high-speed, low-latency satellite internet service.
Check back on this page for the latest OneWeb developments, and ask your telco company or broadband provider to see if they will be adding OneWeb to your list of options for internet service.
Depending on the final details and pricing when it becomes available in your area, OneWeb’s satellite internet service might be worth exploring.
Related resources
Project Kuiper Review
Project Kuiper is Amazon's new satellite internet service. Check out Amazon internet details like launch dates, expected costs, and more.
Viasat vs. HughesNet
Viasat and HughesNet are available across the US, but HughesNet offers better prices and Viasat faster speeds. Check out our guide for more.
SpaceX Starlink Review
Starlink offers unlimited data and speeds up to 200 Mbps for $110.00/mo. But is Starlink really the best satellite internet choice for you?
Methodology
Our SatelliteInternet.com editorial team bases our analyses on research, results from our speed test tool, and proprietary internet provider data on speeds and pricing. We dig deep to get hard-to-find information on internet plans, fees, and upcoming brand developments. We make this information easy for you to find in one place via our in-depth reviews, and we use our satellite internet industry expertise to analyze the options to help you make the most informed decision for your household.
Sources
- Jonathan Amos, BBC, “OneWeb to fly on competitor SpaceX’s rockets,” March 2021. Accessed September 29, 2022.
- OneWeb, “Bringing connectivity to life,” Accessed September 29, 2022.
- Eutelsat press release, “Eutelsat and OneWeb to combine: a leap forward in Satellite Connectivity,” July 26, 2022. Accessed September 29, 2022.
- Jonathan Amos, BBC, “OneWeb satellite internet company is officially reborn,” November 2020. Accessed September 29, 2022.
- BBC, “India’s Bharti invests $500m in UK space start-up OneWeb,” June 2021. Accessed September 29, 2022.
- Diana Goovaerts, Fierce Telecom, “AT&T taps OneWeb to extend enterprise broadband beyond fiber’s reach,” September 2021. Accessed September 29, 2022.
- See Jonathan Amos, BBC, “OneWeb to fly on competitor SpaceX’s rockets.”
- See Eutelsat press release.
- OneWeb, “Our story,” Accessed September 29, 2022.
- OneWeb, “Eutelsat and OneWeb to combine: a leap forward in Satellite Connectivity,” July 2022. Accessed October 3, 2022.
- OneWeb, “AT&T and OneWeb plan Satellite Access for Business in Remote Areas across the US,” October 2021. Accessed October 3, 2022.
