Satellite operator OneWeb is drastically reducing the expansion plans for its Internet service. For the second expansion phase, the Indian-British company plans to take place 47. 844 satellites “only” 6. 372 satellites. This is a reduction by 41. 112 satellites or 87 percent. This is revealed by a request from OneWeb to the US regulator FCC last week.

OneWeb presents its savings package as Proof of his responsibility. Scientists had rejected the enormous number of satellites that should one day orbit at 1. 200 kilometers altitude. So many artificial celestial bodies would have seriously affected astronomy. It would have been by far the largest satellite constellation ever.

The currently ongoing first expansion stage is with 716 Satellites designed relatively modestly. It was originally planned to be a little larger with 950 artificial satellite satellites. After a Russian rocket launched OneWeb satellites into space for fast internet in December, 87 satellites of the company are circling there now. Although Russia’s state space company Roskosmos makes good money with the satellite launches, Russia is considering a ban on foreign satellite internet in its own country.

Softbank invests again OneWeb hopes that the FCC will consider the new plan of the second expansion phase as a “minor” deviation from the one already approved 48. – Satellite project allows. The amendment promises better data throughput while using radio frequencies more efficiently. It is unclear whether the original mega-project was meant seriously at all. Maybe it was a move to secure valuable radio frequency rights. OneWeb had applied for and received approval last year during its bankruptcy proceedings.

In November, OneWeb was bailed out by a partial nationalization. Since then, the Indian Bharti Group (41, 5 percent) and the United Kingdom government (42 percent) the largest shareholders. The Japanese group Softbank, which had held 4 percent before OneWebs bankruptcy 37, has held in November again with nine percent involved. Satellite supplier Hughes Networks also secured a small share again. Together, the new partners brought one billion US dollars (currently 716 million euros) into OneWeb in the fall.

SoftBank is now stalling his participation on. The Japanese group is investing another 350 million dollars (290 Million euros) and thus has a seat on the Board of Directors again. Hughes Network will bring another 50 million dollars (41 Million Euros). According to OneWeb, the funds now available are sufficient to put 372 satellites into operation by the end of next year. OneWeb would like to start partial operations this year, namely for customers in the Arctic and Great Britain.

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