06 December 2021

OneWeb, the Bharti-backed low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications firm, has signed a letter of intent (LoI) with Kazakhstani aerospace business, Ghalam, to explore opportunities for locally-produced components for the second generation of its satellites in the country.

The two companies signed the LoI during the annual international technological forum Digital Bridge 2021 in Kazakhstan’s capital Nur-Sultan in late October.

At the event, OneWeb chief executive officer (CEO) Neil Masterson also oversaw the satcom company’s first-ever demonstration of LEO-powered broadband within the Commonwealth Independent States (CIS).

“OneWeb’s demonstration network delivered a significant performance in both downlink and uplink peak rates, together with low latency, during demonstrations using video conference calling, content streaming and cloud-based applications,” the company said in a statement. “This demonstration set the stage for the formation of a centre of expertise for the use of low-orbit satellite communication systems in CIS.”

The demonstration tests were carried out by OneWeb Kazakhstan, with the support of the Republican Centre for Space Communication JSC and Jusan Mobile JSC.

Also in October this year, OneWeb launched another 36 satellites from the Vostochny Cosmodrome, bringing the total currently in-orbit constellation to 358. That figure is over half of its entire 648 LEO satellite fleet that will deliver high-speed, low-latency satellite broadband worldwide.