OneWeb Satellite Review 2023

OneWeb is a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite internet provider partly owned by the UK government. The company has recently finished its satellite constellation and is currently rolling out internet connectivity in certain areas, but the OneWeb satellite internet business model is based on selling services to telcos and other business partners, not consumers directly.

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Jump to:

• OneWeb vs. other satellite internet providers
• Is OneWeb available?
• Who is the owner of OneWeb?
• Is OneWeb a LEO?
• Is OneWeb better than Starlink?
• Who builds OneWeb?
• How much does OneWeb internet cost?
• The OneWeb and Eutelsat merger
• Should you plan to get OneWeb when it’s available?

OneWeb's LEO satellite internet is now available in select places, with expansions planned in the near future. In March 2023, OneWeb launched the 36 satellites that helped it cross the threshold for global coverage.

With a strong enough satellite constellation finally in play, it now offers internet connectivity to remote areas in Canada, Greenland, and soon to British territories in the South Atlantic. It's also currently undergoing two trials to offer internet to the Shetland Lands and Lundy Island as part of the UK government’s Very Hard to Reach Premises Connectivity programme.

Since the British government backs OneWeb, it makes sense that the commonwealth is the internet provider's first focus of connectivity. However, there are plans to expand beyond it to other global area in need; for example, OneWeb and NOW Communications (a firm with telecom investments in the Philippines) have partnered to bring LEO satellite internet to the archipelago this year, 2023. OneWeb will still focus primarily on offering internet  to government and military infrastructure it seems, but Neil Mastersson, the CEO of OneWeb, did say he looks forward to offering "transformational connectivity to people, businesses, and government bodies throughout the Philippines."

Generally, 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. That said, as in the example above, consumer availability may be on the table as some point.

USA residents aren't likely to have access to OneWeb, though, as the satellite service focuses primarily on Eurasian areas for the time being. 

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.

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 

It is hard to compare OneWeb to Starlink because OneWeb’s internet service is newer and primarily focused on the European and Asian markets for now. OneWeb is also not primarily focused on selling to individual households. Starlink’s internet service is already available in most USA areas and some new countries throughout Europe and Africa, plus it has both residential and business access. 

Depending on your needs, OneWeb’s constellation might be competitive with Starlink if it's available in your area—and you're a government body of some kind (or possibly a business). 

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. 

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 January 2023, 542 satellites were currently in orbit. More have launched since.

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 

OneWeb satellite internet service pricing is not publicly advertised, mostly because the satellite service isn't selling direct to consumers like most ISPs. OneWeb internet service will be sold primarily via partnerships with telecoms, broadband providers, governments, and other organizations that deliver internet service to customers, so the cost will depend on your area and who's selling it to you.

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.  

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.

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.