Satellite manufacturer and internet service provider mu Space and Advanced Technology has reached an exclusive deal with OneWeb, a global communications network powered by a constellation of 648 low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, to provide LEO connectivity solutions across mainland Southeast Asia.
The multi-million dollar deal aims to provide internet connectivity to underserved remote areas; mu Space describes itself as a pioneer of the aerospace industry in mainland Southeast Asia. The company intends to provide satellite internet connectivity to remote areas for both commercial and civil governmental use. The areas targeted this year include Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar and Malaysia.
Being the sole distributor for OneWeb in this region, mu Space will provide a wide range of services to each sector, including the government, telecommunications, aviation, maritime, land vehicle, backhauling and healthcare sectors, to support customer needs as well as connecting remote communities in the region.
The partners in this deal estimate that it could see a potential revenue of US$100 million within the first six years of serving the mainland Southeast Asia region. After this six year-period, mu Space has the right to extend the deal. It says that, with latest trends suggesting that next-generation satellite launches will increase in the future, the extended deal could be worth three times the amount of the first six years.
Possible use cases for LEO connectivity include remote monitoring of natural disasters like forest fires, tracking water levels at dams, remote education and telehealth, and emergency communications when electricity and communication signals are affected by natural disasters.