Even though the OneWeb satellite venture is going through bankruptcy and a potential sale, it filed an application overnight with the Federal Communications Commission to expand its planned broadband internet constellation to as many as 48,000 satellites.
- OneWeb has launched 74 satellites into low Earth orbit so far, and has FCC authorization for a total of 720. It had been seeking approval for 1,980 satellites, but upped that number just in time to meet a deadline for revised filings.
- Not long ago, the London-based company was targeting this year for the start of limited service in the Arctic. But one of its major backers, Japan’s Softbank Group, balked at providing a fresh infusion of investment due to the coronavirus pandemic’s financial effects — forcing the venture to seek bankruptcy protection in March. An auction of its assets, including its spectrum licenses, is set for July 2.
- In a statement, OneWeb CEO Adrian Steckel said the dramatic upgrade in plans for the constellation “enables long-term flexibility and ensures we will be ready for the demand, future growth and technology changes to come.” The filing may also be aimed at preserving OneWeb’s value to potential buyers or investors — including Amazon, which is working on the regulatory requirements for its planned Project Kuiper satellite constellation. OneWeb says it “has received considerable interest from parties worldwide.”
