Page 91 - SAMENA Trends - March-April 2022

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OneWeb Seals Deals with SpaceX, Eutelsat, Speedcast, Telstra

OneWeb, the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite OneWeb, as it plans to integrate OneWeb’s Australian telecoms group Telstra will build
communications operator part-owned LEO satellite connectivity into the three dedicated teleports across Australia
by the UK government, has entered into Speedcast Unified Global Platform (UGP), to provide satellite gateway services for
an agreement with US-based SpaceX to bringing LEO services for Speedcast’s OneWeb in the Southern Hemisphere, under
enable it to resume satellite launches. energy and enterprise customers in mid- a ten-year agreement. London-based
OneWeb had cancelled an existing 2022 followed by maritime mobility in 2023. OneWeb’s investors include: India’s Bharti
agreement with Russian space agency LEO joins GEO, Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) group (USD1 billion investment), Eutelsat
RosCosMos following Russia’s invasion of and 4G/5G as connectivity options on the (USD715 million, having upped its stake
Ukraine, and stopped launching satellites UGP. Speedcast has also recently been from 17.6% to 22.9% in October 2021), the
from Kazakhstan’s Baikonur spaceport, commissioned to develop critical ground UK government (USD500 million), Japan’s
leased to Russia. The first launch with infrastructure for OneWeb to support the SoftBank (USD350 million), South Korean
SpaceX is anticipated in 2022 and will add fleet operator’s Earth Station requirements electronics firm Hanwha (USD300 million)
to OneWeb’s total in-orbit constellation in parts of Latin America. In yet another and US satellite services operator Hughes
that currently stands at 428 satellites, deal this week, it was announced that Network Systems (USD50 million).
or two-thirds of its full planned fleet.
OneWeb has so far activated its network
for remote parts of the globe above 50
degrees north, with early partners already
initiating services. OneWeb has meanwhile
sealed a multi-year global Distribution
Partnership Agreement (DPA) under
which its second largest investor, French-
backed geostationary (GEO) satellite
operator Eutelsat Communications, will
‘commercialize OneWeb services across
key verticals including Maritime, Aviation,
Enterprise, Telcos and Government.’
Furthermore, US-based international
satellite broadband provider Speedcast
also announced the signing of a DPA with

NCC to Open Applications for Would-Be Providers of LEO Satellite Services
in June 2022

Taiwan’s National Communications the Taiwanese government, has released be eligible to provide LEO satellite services
Commission (NCC) has confirmed that four additional frequency bands for use applicants must be registered in Taiwan
it will begin accepting applications from by geostationary and non-geostationary and Taiwanese-managed, according to
companies which aim to offer low earth satellite communications service providers, the NCC, while direct shareholding by
orbit (LEO) satellite services in June namely: 10.7GHz-12.7GHz; 13.75GHz- foreign parties must not exceed 49%, with
2022. The Taipei Times reports that the 14.5GHz; 17.7GHz-20.2GHz; and 27.5GHz- indirect shareholding by foreigners limited
plan to open applications comes after 30.0GHz. Notably, the 27.9GHz to 29.5GHz to 60%. Foreign operators will, however,
the regulator last week approved draft band is used by Chunghwa Telecom, be permitted to form partnerships with
rules governing the appropriation and Far EasTone Telecommunications, Asia Taiwanese companies to file applications,
assignment of radio frequency bands for Pacific Telecom and Taiwan Mobile for the NCC noted. Three overseas LEO
satellite communications. These rules are 5G and it was reported that satellite satellite operators were reported to have
being consulted on for a 60-day period, with service operators that plan to acquire already inquired about regulations in
the NCC set to host information sessions in bandwidth in that range will be required Taiwan with these named as SpaceX,
April or May, ahead of announcing its final to reach agreements with those operators OneWeb and Telesat.
regulatory framework. It is understood that to avoid interference between the two
the Executive Yuan, the executive branch of communications systems. Meanwhile, to

91 MARCH-APRIL 2022