Hyperdrive

Musk Satellite Rival OneWeb Says Customers Lining Up Ahead of 2021 Launch

U.K.-based startup races SpaceX to offer internet from orbit
CEO sees room for more than one LEO broadband network

A rocket carrying 36 OneWeb satellites launches from Russia on March 25.Photographer: Yuri Smityuk/TASS/Getty Images

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By Thomas Seal

March 30, 2021 at 4:00 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

OneWeb is closing in on wholesale deals to help pay for its multi-billion dollar satellite constellation, the startup’s new boss said.

The London-based company is racing against Elon Musk’s SpaceX to beam broadband internet to isolated regions from space. It sent up 36 of the fridge-sized satellites last week, taking the total in orbit to 146, still well short of the 648 planned.