Bharti group-backed OneWeb has extended its partnership with the Kazakhstan government and local partners to provide broadband to remote areas in the country. This will be done using OneWeb’s low-latency satellite connectivity, localisation of the supply chain for OneWeb’s low earth orbit satellites, and building a ground station to provide connectivity to Central Asian countries.
In this regard, OneWeb signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with subsidiaries of the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry: national satellite operator Republican Centre of Space Communications JSC, National Company Kazakhstan Gharysh Sapary and Ghalam LLP, a spacecraft component supplier.
According to OneWeb, it has also received its certificate of incorporation for OneWeb Kazakhstan Limited registered in Astana International Financial Centre. This subsidiary company will facilitate the establishment of a low earth orbit Centre of Excellence in the country and enable OneWeb’s service delivery across the whole of Central Asia.
OneWeb plans to demonstrate the networks in June 2021. The satellite broadband company is reportedly planning to launch its services in India in May-June 2022, while from October 2021, it will provide services in 50 degrees north, including all of the UK, Northern Europe, Polar and Alaska and northern part of Russia.
