OneWeb has plans of partnering up with telecom companies around the world. The satellite broadband company has already partnered with AT&T, a US telecom operator and will help the company in improving its services for the business customers. With the help of OneWeb, AT&T will be able to serve its business customers in the rural and remote regions of the country better. Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman, Bharti Enterprises, in a virtual global satellite event being held in the US, said, OneWeb doesn’t plan to compete with the telecom operators; instead, the company wants to collaborate with them.
OneWeb Aims to Partner With at Least 135 Telcos
According to an ET Telecom report, Mittal said that OneWeb plans to partner with at least one telco in the 135 odd markets across the globe and help them offer better services to their customers. The company has targeted to provide global satellite broadband coverage by mid-2022. This is the same time frame when the company intends to start providing services in India. Mittal had previously also said that OneWeb is coming to India focused on the Business-to-Consumers (B2C) segment; instead, the company would partner with the telcos and help them expand reach and coverage with their networks. Mittal said that OneWeb has already taken the approval for providing satellite broadband services in 12 to 13 countries. This is the challenge that each of the satcom companies will face in the coming days. Providing global coverage doesn’t mean a company is all set to provide services. It is only the first step. The companies also have to look at getting necessary regulatory approvals, and this is what Elon Musk has also iterated. But entering the market being focused on the B2B segment is actually a clever way to do business. OneWeb will be able to cut big deals and invest in its infrastructure in a more uniform manner to support the telcos.
