BT to Use OneWeb Satellites for U.K. Rural Internet Push
BT Agrees to Use OneWeb Satellites for U.K. Rural Internet Push
(Bloomberg) -- BT Group Plc and satellite startup OneWeb have agreed to collaborate to connect the remotest parts of Britain to broadband.
The companies signed a memorandum of understanding to accelerate digital communications for businesses and communities using OneWeb’s connectivity services from low-earth orbit, they said in a statement on Sunday.
The plan comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged extra subsidies to bring faster connection speeds to the whole of Britain as it emerges from the coronavirus crisis. Successive pandemic lockdowns have underlined the importance of faster broadband to the emerging digital economy.
Both companies will also look for opportunities to develop new services for BT’s global customers, they said in the release.
London-based OneWeb, a rival to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite network said in a separate statement that the company plans to have launched 254 of its 648 fridge-sized satellites by July 1. The company also said recently it could start connecting U.K. customers and others in northern regions by the end of this year.
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