European satellite operator Eutelsat has ordered 229 additional low Earth orbit satellites from Airbus in a €1bn ($1.16bn) deal to expand and replenish its OneWeb network through 2034.
The Franco-British company announced the deal on Thursday, saying the new satellites would be added to 440 Airbus-built satellites it ordered in 2024 and 2025.
Deliveries from the earlier orders are expected to begin in the fourth quarter.
The latest investment is part of Eutelsat’s efforts to strengthen OneWeb and compete with Elon Musk’s Starlink, which currently operates the world’s largest low Earth orbit satellite network.
Eutelsat has raised about €5bn to help ease the financial pressure from its $3.4bn merger with OneWeb and support the expansion of the satellite network.
OneWeb currently has more than 600 satellites in orbit. Eutelsat Chief Executive Officer Jean-François Fallacher said in March that the company expected its fleet to exceed 1,000 satellites soon.
By comparison, Starlink has more than 11,000 satellites in orbit.
However, OneWeb requires fewer satellites to provide global coverage because its satellites operate at a higher altitude.
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Unlike Starlink, which has a large consumer customer base, OneWeb focuses mainly on governments, businesses and telecommunications companies.
Eutelsat said the additional satellites would help ensure continuity of OneWeb’s services until the planned deployment of IRIS², the European Union’s secure communications constellation.
IRIS² is expected to comprise 348 satellites and begin providing services around the end of the decade.
Eutelsat also announced on Thursday that it had booked two Ariane launch missions to deploy OneWeb satellites in 2027 and 2028.
The company is strategically important to the French and British governments as the only low Earth orbit satellite network outside Starlink, according to Reuters, providing secure communications and broadband internet services.
The latest order extends Eutelsat’s previous plan to spend about €2bn on procuring and launching 440 satellites by 2030.
About the Author
Cecilia Attah is a tech analyst with a degree from Benue State University. She covers tech news and startups at TechRegard with a focus on how technology is transforming Africa and shaping the global landscape.
