Concentrate On Satellite Communications, Leaving Moon, Mars To Others: Sunil Mittal

Even as the race to establish space tourism and colonise the Moon and Mars have accelerated, satellite communications company OneWeb will continue to focus on providing broadband connectivity around the world to the three billion people who do not have access to high-speed Internet, Bharti Enterprises Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said on a Zoom call with a group of reporters on Sunday.

Speaking from London after finishing the global constellation for Bharti Enterprises-backed OneWeb, Mittal stated that the India operation of the satellite communication service is expected to begin in July-August, though clarity on how spectrum will be distributed is still awaited.  

“Our priority remains the communication space. Many ambitious and innovative entrepreneurs are considering colonising the Moon and Mars. At my age, I'd just have to wait and see how things progressed. I wish I was in my 30s to start those things,” Mittal, also the executive chairman of OneWeb, said in response to a query about his space aspirations from Business Standard. OneWeb seeks to bridge the digital divide by providing broadband connectivity in remote areas of the nation.  

On Sunday morning, OneWeb launched its final 36 satellites, completing a constellation of 618 spacecraft. The satellites were deployed and contacted in orbit earlier in the day by NewSpace India (NSIL), the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

Lift-off occurred at 9 a.m., OneWeb's satellites successfully separated from Isro's heaviest payload rocket, LVM3, and were dispensed in nine phases over 1 hour and 14 minutes, with signal acquisition verified on all 36 satellites.

For global coverage, the OneWeb constellation design calls for 588 satellites, with extra satellites intended for resiliency and redundancy.

“By the end of the year, OneWeb will be ready to roll out global coverage, enhancing its existing connectivity solutions that are already live in regions north of 50 degrees latitude as it brings new areas online through partnerships with leading providers,” according to the company.

Along with OneWeb, Mittal mentioned Starlink, Elon Musk's SpaceX's satellite internet constellation, and Amazon-backed Project Kuiper to round out the space communications sector. However, he emphasised that OneWeb's 600-plus Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, which are much closer to Earth than Geostationary Orbit (GEO) satellites, would set it apart from rivals.

“We will be the only one with a mix of GEO and LEO satellites. That is a very potent and powerful combination,” Mittal said. 

He stated that Oneweb will not compete with any telecom firm in India or around the world. Instead, it is collaborating with Verizon and others in the United States to launch its offerings.

“If you ask me, can the pricing of satellite communication be at par with mobile tariffs?” Mittal said of tariffs.