OneWeb constellation visualization. Photo: OneWeb

Eutelsat has signed a new, multi-year deal with SoftBank which will see the company integrate Eutelsat’s OneWeb LEO connectivity services into its offering and provide a new element to the company’s satellite communication services. Initially, the deal will focus on the Japanese market, but will expand to Japanese customers in other territories. Eutelsat announced the deal, Sept. 3.

SoftBank plans to use OneWeb’s connectivity services to deliver a robust bandwidth- and communication speed-guaranteed service to customers including corporations and government entities. It will directly interconnect with SoftBank’s closed network service ‘SmartVPN’ for additional security communications.

“By using the OneWeb LEO constellation it becomes possible to use high-quality, highly secure satellite communications services in places such as maritime and mountainous areas where connectivity is difficult to provide with terrestrial mobile networks. This will enable us to promote digital transformation in various industries and for local governments, heralding a new era in secure, ubiquitous connectivity services,” Masakatsu Kawahara, vice president, head of Communication Service Division, SoftBank, said in a statement.

OneWeb and Softbank have a long history, and Softbank was an investor in the first iteration of the company. In 2020, Softbank pulled out of a funding round which was one of the factors that led to OneWeb’s bankruptcy. Softbank later invested in the company’s second iteration before Eutelsat acquired OneWeb.