Oneweb has obtained in principle approval to establish and operate two gateways in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, which would secure the provision of vital high-speed, low-latency internet connectivity to customers across India, once services are rolled out
FinTech BizNews Service
Mumbai, November 22, 2023: OneWeb India has on Tuesday received the necessary authorisations from IN-SPACe to launch Eutelsat OneWeb’s commercial satellite broadband services in India. OneWeb India is the first organisation to be granted this authorisation. Eutelsat OneWeb, the low earth orbit operator, is part of Eutelsat Group.
IN-SPACe is the agency of the Government of India, responsible for regulating space activities and granting authorisation for conducting the space activities in the country. This authorisation means Eutelsat OneWeb can launch commercial connectivity services as soon as spectrum allocation has been granted by the Government.
Bharti Group Chairman and Vice-President (Co-Chair) of the Board of Directors of Eutelsat Group, Sunil Bharti Mittal, said: “We are pleased to note the Indian space regulator’s green light to launch Eutelsat OneWeb’s commerical satellite broadband services in India. This will be a critical step forward to meet India’s ambition of providing internet connectivity for all and will enable the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of Digital India. Eutelsat OneWeb is ready to deploy as soon as it receives the final spectrum authorization to launch commercial services.”
Cyril Dujardin, Co-General Manager of Connectivity at Eutelsat Group, said: “Bridging the connectivity gap around the world requires collaboration across business but also with governments and regulators. We are pleased to have received these approvals from the space regulator that bring the country a significant step closer to providing high speed connectivity to even the most remote locations. Having completed our LEO constellation last year, we are perfectly placed to deliver this vital connectivity service to businesses across India.”
This news adds to Eutelsat OneWeb’s existing strong position in the Indian market, where OneWeb India already holds the necessary licences from the Department of Telecommunications to provide broadband services using satellite connectivity. The business has also obtained in principle approval to establish and operate two gateways in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, which would secure the provision of vital high-speed, low-latency internet connectivity to customers across India, once services are rolled out.
Eutelsat OneWeb is a subsidiary of Eutelsat Group, the global leader in satellite communications delivering connectivity and broadcast services worldwide. The Group was formed through the combination of Eutelsat and OneWeb in 2023, becoming the first fully integrated GEO-LEO satellite operator with a fleet of 37 Geostationary satellites and a low Earth orbit constellation of more than 600 satellites.
The Group addresses the needs of customers in four key verticals of Video, where it distributes more than 6,500 television channels, and the high-growth connectivity markets of Mobile Connectivity, Fixed Connectivity, and Government Services.
Eutelsat Group’s unique suite of in-orbit and on-ground assets enables it to deliver integrated solutions to meet the needs of global customers. The Company is headquartered in Paris and Eutelsat Group employs more than 1,700 people from 50 different nationalities. The Group is committed to delivering safe, resilient, and environmentally sustainable connectivity to help bridge the digital divide. The Company is listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ticker: ETL) and the London Stock Exchange.
