A visualization of OneWeb’s constellation. Photo: OneWeb

OneWeb has initiated service across Europe and much of the United States as the Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) constellation is working toward global service. 

The satellite operator announced Wednesday that it started service at the end of May in 37 new countries in Europe including Austria, Italy, France, and Portugal, and West Coast of the U.S. from Washington to California, the Northeast coast from Maine to Virginia, and across the Midwest. OneWeb is now reaching regions above the latitude of 35 degrees north.

OneWeb is the second LEO constellation in operation after SpaceX’s Starlink, with 634 satellites. OneWeb’s business model is as a wholesale connectivity provider, working with telecommunications companies and internet service providers that integrate the OneWeb service into their connectivity services. Starlink started out as a direct-to-consumer operation, but Starlink now also does deals with service providers and enterprises like cruise lines and airlines. 

OneWeb’s Chief Customer Officer Stephen Beynon said this service supports existing partners and is welcoming new partners as well. 

“This expansion is a significant step in our journey to delivering global commercial service for our customers. We are seeing increased demand for our service as we have expanded coverage and grown our portfolio of user terminals for different markets,” Benyon commented. “As our network coverage continues to grow, I am incredibly excited to serve more maritime, government, enterprise, and aviation customers.”